


Under the Sakura Tree

by Fawn_Eyed_Girl



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Consensual Sex, Dark Fairy Tale Elements, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Kidnapping, Romance, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:55:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 36,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28435737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fawn_Eyed_Girl/pseuds/Fawn_Eyed_Girl
Summary: Inuyasha and Kagome are childhood friends turned sweethearts. On the eve of Inuyasha's prospective proposal, he is taken away by the Soul Queen, Kikyo, who desires a Shikon no Tama shard that he has in his possession. When Kagome realizes that Inuyasha has been kidnapped, she sets out on a quest that takes her across Japan to find her lost love. Will she be able to find him before he is lost to her forever?An adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, and featuring commissioned art by the radiantnartista!
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha
Comments: 79
Kudos: 56





	1. The Secret Shard

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Alannada](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alannada/gifts).



> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and doing well.
> 
> Happiest of birthdays to incredible [Alannada](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alannada)! I am seriously so blessed to know you. Your creativity, your wit, and your indomitable spirit always amaze me. This fandom is impossibly lucky to have you, as are the other fandoms that you write for! 
> 
> It was only fitting that I write you a fairy tale! This is one that I have long been wanting to write an adaptation of. _The Snow Queen_ by Hans Christian Andersen is one of my favorites, and I hope you enjoy what I have done!
> 
> This chapter features some gorgeous commissioned artwork from [nartista](https://nartista-digital.tumblr.com/)! We hope that you enjoy, and happy birthday, my dear friend 💖💖💖💖
> 
> And a special thanks to [gribedli](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gribedli), [lavendertwilight89](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lavendertwilight89), [NeutronStarChild](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeutronStarChild), and [Ruddcatha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruddcatha) for your help with this story!

Once upon a time, many years ago, a great battle took place between the priestess Midoriko and the hordes of demons that plagued the country of Japan. Midoriko poured her own soul, and the souls of the demons, into the creation of a jewel, which was eventually called the Shikon no Tama. As the jewel passed through the generations, men and women, youkai and human, desired the jewel. It was said that if one possessed the jewel, it would grant their wish. The jewel was thus the cause of wars, and death, and destruction, as all who sought to possess it took drastic measures to gain control.

Eventually, the jewel fell into the hands of a demon slayer village, whose people vowed to protect it at all costs. And while they were able to keep it out of the hands of humans, a crow youkai managed to steal it from a member of the village and flew away. However, as it was flying away, the higher it flew, the more slippery the jewel became in its grasp, until the jewel fell to the earth and shattered into hundreds of pieces. 

The shattering of the jewel was a terrible thing. Even in its smallest form, a shard of the jewel could cause jealousy, hate, and resentment. Youkai took the jewel into their bodies; it made them impossibly strong and powerful, even with just one small shard. Men could only carry it on their bodies, and not within; but even then, they also felt incredibly powerful. 

Everyone wanted the jewel shards; everyone wanted more and more of the jewel shards; everyone wanted to be the one who would possess them all.

But there was one woman in particular who wanted the shards, more than anyone else.

Her name was Kikyo; she had once been a priestess, and now, she was the undead, destined to walk the earth and feed off the souls of the living. Kikyo had heard that the jewel, if reassembled to whole, would grant any wish; she wished, more than anything, to be free from her hell on earth, where others lived and laughed and loved, and where she could only exist. She wanted, more than anything, to return to the earth, from which she had been so abruptly taken. 

She also knew, though, that the jewel only worked if it was an unselfish wish, and her wish was most definitely selfish. How could she find a way to make her wish come true, and have it be unselfish? 

And so she haunted the world, carried by her shinidamachu, who brought her souls and helped her locate pieces of the jewel. And she often went out of her way to target people and youkai who were in possession of the shards, taking their souls, along with their portions of the jewel. And so it was in this way that Kikyo grew more and more powerful, and built a palace for herself in the northernmost regions of Hokkaido, nestled safe and secure among the snowy mountains, where few would venture.

Where she felt that she, and the jewel shards she had collected, would be safe from prying eyes and thieving hands.

But there was still one more thing that she needed, to help set her mind full at ease: 

A vessel.

Someone who could harbor a few shards within their body, who could keep them safe until such time that the rest of the jewel was complete, and Kikyo could figure out how to make the wish that she desired, without it being a selfish wish. She knew that youkai could successfully carry the jewel shards within their bodies, but she could only use her powers to control humans; she needed someone who carried the characteristics of both in their blood in order for her plan to work.

And so her search expanded to not only include jewel shards, but also to include a search for a hanyou—someone who was half youkai, and half human—someone who could both carry jewel shards within their body, and someone she could also manipulate and control.

That is the search that brings us to a small village outside of Kyoto, to a jewel shard Kikyo had yet to procure, and the hanyou who possessed it.

* * *

Kagome would always remember the day that Inuyasha and his mother moved into the house next door.

It was spring, and the sakura trees were in full bloom; Kagome had been sitting under one of the trees that marked the boundary of her family’s property, reading a book, when she saw a flash of silver and red between the flowers of a tree on her neighbor’s property. She put her book down, rose to her feet, and padded over to the tree, smoothing out her kimono as she walked.

“Hello?” she called. “Is someone there?”

A rustle of leaves, a sprinkling of sakura blossoms, and a small figure dropped down from a limb. It was...a boy…

A boy dressed all in red, with long silver hair, and tiny, adorable, puppy dog ears poking out from under his hair. They twitched in her direction; his eyes, which she noticed were a beautiful gold, gleamed. 

“Did...did you just move in next door?” Kagome breathed. He was so... _adorable_...she barely had any words.

The boy nodded. “My mom is unpacking but I...I wanted to come outside.” He blushed. “I saw you sitting and reading.” He paused. “What are you reading?”

Kagome smiled. “ _Night on the Galactic Railroad_ ,” she told him. His eyes lit up. “Do you know that book?”

He shook his head. “I don’t read much,” he admitted. 

“I can read you some, if you like,” she said. She paused. “I’m Kagome,” she told him.

“Inuyasha,” he said. “You’d really read some for me?”

“Sure,” she said, smiling. She reached out and took his hand; they both shivered at the contact. She felt his claws on the tips of his fingers, and gasped. She realized that he was a…

Inuyasha ripped his hand from hers; his ears drooped and his face fell. “Don’t want to hold hands with a hanyou, do ya?” he said dejectedly. He turned to leave.

“Wait,” Kagome called out. Inuyasha paused, and looked back at her, his ears swiveled in her direction, his eyes completely fixed on her.

Kagome reached out and took his hand again. “I don’t mind,” she said immediately. “I don’t mind that you’re a...a hanyou. In fact,” she blushed and ducked her head, “I think that your ears are cute.”

Inuyasha’s whole face lit up, and Kagome’s heart leapt at the fact that she’d made him happy. She reached for his hand again, and this time, when the pads of her fingers caressed his claws, he didn’t pull away. 

Kagome led him to the tree on her side of the property line where she’d left her book. She settled down again under the sakura tree; Inuyasha crouched next to her, on his haunches, watching her expectantly. She picked up the book and showed him the cover; when he growled appreciatively, she opened the book and began to read.

And thus began a ten-year friendship between Inuyasha and Kagome. In the summer, they played under the sakura trees, and chased each other around the neighborhood; Inuyasha always made sure she was able to catch him at least once, and also that she could escape him at least once. He figured out early on that he was faster, and stronger, than her, but he never wanted her to feel like he could overpower her. 

He never wanted her to feel afraid of him.

When Kagome tired of their games (which she did more quickly than he), they would settle under a tree, or up on a branch, and Kagome would rest against Inuyasha’s chest, listen to him purr, and read. As they grew older, and closer, he would wrap his arms around her, and she would snuggle into his chest, the silver strands of his hair falling about her protectively. They were alone in their little world under the sakura blossoms, and it was there that they fell in love, where they kissed for the first time, and where they both realized they were meant to be together. 

If their spring and summer days over the years were spent outside, Inuyasha and Kagome spent their winters tucked away in Kagome’s house, sitting by the fire, watching the snow fall. Kagome lived alone with her grandmother, Kaede, who was very old and who wore an eye patch over one eye. She told outlandish tales about thunder youkai, and men who became possessed by their swords, but Inuyasha and Kagome always loved hearing her stories, taking the meanings lightly. 

One particularly cold night during Kagome’s 18th and Inuyasha’s 21st year, the two sat together in Kagome’s house, as per usual, by the fire. Inuyasha sat at Kagome’s feet, and Kagome busied herself gently brushing Inuyasha’s hair. His eyes were closed, and his ears were wiggling; he clearly loved the feel of the brush running through his silver strands, Kagome’s touch delicate and light.

[ ](https://nartista-digital.tumblr.com/post/638962457807880192/a-peaceful-moment-this-piece-is-my-las-commission)

Commissioned Artwork by [nartista](https://nartista-digital.tumblr.com/)

* * *

“Look out at the snow, children,” Kaede, Kagome’s grandmother, said. “Don’t you think that it looks just like bees flying through the air?”

Kagome scoffed—the snow looked _nothing_ like bees, as far as she could tell—but Inuyasha, ever thoughtful and kind, allowed the old woman her fantasies.

“You’re right, obaba,” he said to her. “It looks just like bees.” He paused. “Do you think the snow has a queen?” he asked her suddenly, “like the bees do?”

Kagome paused in her hair brushes and looked at her grandmother, who was quiet and thoughtful. 

“It does,” Kaede said. “She is the one who walks among the living when she should be walking among the dead. Rumor has it that she is always moving, carried by her shinidamachu, looking for shards of the legendary Shikon Jewel. When she flies over, she is so cold that she freezes towns, and cities. And if she finds you, and you have a jewel shard, she will take your shard, and take your soul. They say that she lives in a castle, far away to the north, in Hokkaido, and that it is a castle made of ice, and snow, one that only she can reside in, for her body is made of clay, and earth, and she does not feel heat, nor cold. She is made of the earth, but she never stays here; she is always moving, always looking for her jewel shards, freezing the towns and cities she flies over. If she finds you, and you have a jewel shard, she takes your shard, and she takes your soul. And that is why she is the Soul Queen.”

“Yes,” said both Inuyasha and Kagome,” we have seen her do that.” And they had. Only a few months before, Kagome’s friend Ayumi had come into possession of a jewel shard, and almost immediately, the Soul Queen had found her, taken the shard, and taken her soul. Ayumi was now a shell of her former self, and only lived insofar as she existed. Her eyes were vacant and dull; her skin was ice-cold to the touch. The Ayumi that Kagome knew and loved was gone, her soul taken by the Soul Queen.

“Can the Soul Queen get us here?” Kagome asked.

“Keh,” said Inuyasha. “If she tries, I’ll melt her on the stove and then bury her back in the garden.”

Kagome stared down at him, but Inuyasha’s face was hidden to her, and his body was steady and impassive. She could not read his thoughts.

Kaede regaled them with even more stories, then fed them a warm stew. After dinner, Inuyasha and Kagome sat by the fire, Inuyasha’s head resting on her knee. Kagome read to him, the book in one hand, and absently scratched his ear with the other. Inuyasha’s chest was rumbling pleasantly; together, they were happy and content. 

Soon, Kaede went to bed, but Kagome read and read until her eyes could no longer see and the fire was quietly turning to embers. Inuyasha rose; Kagome set the book down on the table beside the chair and followed him to the door. They paused just before Inuyasha set his hand on the screen door. Kagome looked up at him; she thought she had never seen him so beautiful as he was in that moment. His silver hair was reflecting the dying firelight, but his eyes—his gleaming, golden eyes—seemed to offer a light of their own. His ears were completely fixed on her, and his hand reached up, slowly, to cup her cheek. Kagome closed her eyes as she felt his claws press lightly into her skin, caressing it.

“Until tomorrow, koishii,” he whispered, and he leaned down, and Kagome’s face tilted up, and their lips met halfway. Kagome’s entire body was aglow with the warmth of Inuyasha’s love for her, and of her love for him. When they at last parted, she saw the sadness in his eyes—sadness that he had to leave her, sadness that they would be apart for even one minute of one day.

“Goodnight, Inuyasha,” she whispered back. “I’ll have breakfast ready for you tomorrow?” 

He nodded. “My mother will be back tomorrow night,” he said, “and when she comes home, she and I will need to come and see your grandmother. We have something important to discuss.”

Kagome’s breath caught in her throat. “O—Okay,” she choked out, blushing. He chuckled, kissed her one more time, then pulled back the screen and disappeared into the night.

Although he didn’t have far to go to his own door, Kagome stood at the screen and watched his long, lithe form disappear into the snow. She smiled, twirling a strand of hair absentmindedly around her finger. 

Tomorrow...he and his mother had to talk to her grandmother. 

Kagome knew _exactly_ what this meant.

Inuyasha was going to propose.

* * *

Inuyasha opened the screen door to his own house and stepped inside, shivering slightly. The snow and the cold normally didn’t bother him, but tonight? For some reason, it chilled him thoroughly, even though it was less than a hundred steps from Kagome’s door to his own. He smiled and ran the pad of his finger absently over his lips. _Gods_ , he loved kissing her. Even in the middle of winter, she was brightness and sunshine; she was everything that was wonderful and good in the world. He thanked the gods every day that his mother had chosen _this_ house for them to move to after his father died, that she had decided to break with tradition and leave the family compound in favor of a new life, just the two of them. Even as a child, Inuyasha had not been a fool; he knew that he and his mother were no longer welcome at the family estate after the death of his father. His father had been a great youkai lord, and his parents were true loves, but Inuyasha’s father already had a wife, and a child; there was no place for them in the household after his death. 

Inuyasha busied himself restarting the fire in the hearth, getting it nice and crisp and blazing. He didn’t have plans to stay awake all night, but it was cold, and the fire was warm, and he thought that perhaps, since he was alone, he’d drag his futon out into the main room of the house and sleep there, instead of his room in the back, where it was undoubtedly cold and dark.

And here, when he woke up in the morning, he could look out the window and see Kagome’s house through the tree limbs.

_Fuck_ , he loved her so much. He loved everything about her: her shining, coal-black hair that almost seemed blue in the sunlight; her flashing gray eyes; her adorable little nose; her rosy lips; her figure (which Inuyasha had _definitely_ noticed was becoming more and more womanly over the years, much to his delight). But he also loved her touch, the feel of her fingers on his arm, his face, his hand, his ears ( _gods_ , his ears!). The way she read to him. The way that she looked at him over the kotatsu. The way her foot would brush against his underneath it. The way she would take his arm when they walked into town. The way she sang. The way she told him secrets. The way she let him tell her _his_ secrets. Most of them, anyway.

Everything about her—everything about _them_ —made him happier than he had ever been in his life.

Satisfied that the fire was blazing properly, Inuyasha rose and strode to the back bedroom. He took his futon from its place against the wall; he went to leave, but then stopped, and turned to the small dresser that held his few items of clothing—he mostly wore his fire-rat haori and hakama, gifted to him by his father, but one always needed clean kosode and yukata and occasionally he did wear different hakama than the red ones. He opened the top drawer, sifted through his fundoshi, and pulled out a small box. He smiled, took the box in his hand, and went back into the main room, where he dropped his futon and arranged it a safe distance from the fire. He laid down on it, and opened the box.

There, glistening in the firelight, were two items. One was a ring: a beautiful pearl ring, set in gold, with tiny diamonds on either side. It had been the ring his father gave to his mother, and when he had asked his mother if he could give the ring to Kagome, she had only been too happy to oblige. And now, tomorrow, he and his mother would go to Kagome’s house; they would talk to her grandmother, and he would ask for her blessing to propose to Kagome. 

He knew, almost from the moment they’d first met: they were destined to be together, and he couldn’t want for the moment that he would get to make Kagome his.

Inuyasha put the ring back inside the box and took out the second item. It was tiny, and diamond-shaped, and glowed purple and silver with an unnatural light. It was a shard of the Shikon jewel.

Inuyasha had found it, years ago, while he was out on one of his daily patrols. Even though he wasn’t technically the guardian of the village, he still liked to offer his protection, as the only youkai (okay, hanyou) who lived there. Each morning before breakfast and each evening before dinner, he would make a quick run around the village’s perimeter, looking for any untoward youkai or humans who might be coming too close to the village. And he’d caught a fair number of them early on, too, but once word got out that a hanyou lived in this village, most bandits and youkai stayed away. Inuyasha was young, but powerful, his father having been a youkai lord, and he could easily take out anyone who threatened his home. 

Threatened his Kagome.

He had seen it sparkling in the trunk of a tree from far away. At first, he’d thought that it was just a reflection, but as he grew closer, he realized that it was, in fact, something shiny and unknown. When he got closer, he worked the shard out of the trunk with his claws, and held it delicately between this thumb and forefinger. He’d held it up to the light, and it had _called_ to him, in a way that made his body thrum with power and also made him feel sick to his stomach. He knew what he held in his hands; no one had to tell him otherwise. He knew the power that now resided at his fingertips, but he also knew the devastation that power could bring. 

He’d been torn, for a moment, between taking the shard and leaving it. In the end, he took it, holding it in his hand as he flew back to the village. Once back at his house, he went to his room, where he hid it in a pouch and placed it in the top drawer, all the way in the back. And he tried to leave it there, he really did, but he felt as though the shard was calling his name.

In the end, he started carrying it around whenever he left the house. He wound a string around the pouch and wore it like a necklace, but tucked it inside his kosode so no one could see it. Not even Kagome knew that he possessed it, and he had no plans to tell her. Because he knew that she would make him give it up, and he _liked_ feeling the power it held surge through his fingertips. He _liked_ feeling the power close to his skin when he wore it under his kosode; he _liked_ feeling it close to his heart.

But as he and Kagome grew closer, and closer, so too did his desire to tell her. He struggled with himself on nearly a daily basis, shoving down the urge to reveal his deepest secret to her. He knew that the jewel could taint his soul; he knew that the Soul Queen could come for him; he knew that he should give it away immediately. He knew _all_ these things, and yet, he continued to hold onto the shard. He had, however, started leaving it at home when he went to Kagome’s; somehow the urge to tell her everything was less when he wasn’t wearing it.

As he lay on the futon, staring at the shard, a sudden chilly breeze brushed against his neck. It raised his hackles and caused him to jump to his feet, looking around anxiously. Where had such a breeze come from, and when he was in the middle of the house? Why now?

Inuyasha sniffed the air, and his eyes opened wide. There was someone... _no._ Something? _No_. There was... _a presence_...outside his house. 

And he got the distinct feeling that the presence was there for _him_.

For some reason, Inuyasha grabbed Kagome’s ring, and, still clutching the jewel shard, he rushed to the screen door, opened it, and poked his head outside. He sniffed the air, and looked out into the night, into the snow. 

He could see...a form...out there in the darkness, dark and willowy against the night. It looked like a woman?

What in all the hells would a woman be doing outside his house at this hour? 

A woman who didn’t…quite smell human.

Inuyasha growled and stepped outside the house onto the engawa. He closed the screen door behind him, still holding the shard and Kagome’s ring for comfort, and stepped out into the night.

As he walked out into the cold and the snow, he could start to make out her form, clearer and clearer. It was definitely a woman, and she was tall, and quite thin, with long flowing hair that seemed to stay perfectly still, despite the swirling snow around them. Her hair was dark, and her skin and dress were light; she appeared to wear a white funerary robe. When she turned his way, Inuyasha could see her face: it was beautiful, and delicate. Her eyes were large and dark; her nose straight and prominent, and her lips, while not quite as full or as lush as Kagome’s, were beautifully shaped. He saw her smile and raise her hand to him, beckoning him to come to her. And in the moment, Inuyasha felt that he could not do anything else but obey.

Finally, finally, he was close to her. He thought he could smell death, and dirt, and decay on the wind, and he realized that was her. He growled reflexively.

“Who are you?” he asked sharply. “And why are you here, so late at night?”

The woman smiled again, and this time, Inuyasha could see two rows of sparkling teeth. 

“Hello, Inuyasha,” she said in a silky tone that rocked him to his core. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“Keh,” he said. “Not fucking likely. Try again, ghost.”

“I’m no ghost, Inuyasha,” she replied. “I really am here for you.” She paused. “And your jewel shard, of course.” Her smile grew wider.

“No fucking way in hell will you get your hands on this, Soul Queen,” he retorted. “I know who you are, and I know why you’re here. You’re not getting my soul, or my jewel shard.” He dropped Kagome’s ring into the snow and flashed his claws.

“So much violence,” she commented, “and all over one little shard?” She paused. “What if I were to tell you that I am here to give you another one?”

Inuyasha stilled. “What—what do you mean?” he asked.

The woman reached into her robe and pulled out something small that, even in the darkness of the night, seemed to glow. “This is a second jewel shard, Inuyasha,” she said lightly. “Are you interested?”

“You wanna give _me_ another shard?” he replied. He scoffed. “I don’t take jewel shards from Soul Queens.”

“My name is Kikyo,” she said. “And here. This is a gift...for you.”

A shinidamachu came forth and took the shard from Kikyo’s fingers; it floated effortlessly through the wind and the snow, and before Inuyasha could predict its movements, it had wrapped itself around his head, and dropped the shard into his eye.

Instantly, Inuyasha’s body seized up; he fell to his knees; the shinidamachu caught the other jewel shard before it slipped from his grip and took it back to Kikyo. Kikyo held the jewel shard in her hands and admired it.

“So lovely,” she murmured. “I can’t believe it took me so long to find you, to find your shard.” She crossed the distance between them and tucked her fingers under his chin, drawing his gaze upwards to her. As she touched his skin, Inuyasha felt the cold radiating through his body. Cold...yes. But also…

Also nothing.

Kikyo watched as Inuyasha’s luminous golden eyes turned a dull, listless amber. She smiled, and bent down to rest her forehead against his. “That’s right,” she whispered. “I will be glad of your company, Inuyasha. You’re a youkai; you can carry the shards within your body. But you’re also a man; you will bend easily to my will.” 

“Ka—Kagome,” he whispered in a hoarse, broken voice.

“Oh,” Kikyo said, “Kagome? Who is Kagome?” She leaned closer in; her breath was ice-cold on his lips. “Is she your lover? Your betrothed? Will she miss you when you’re gone?” Kikyo paused. “Because you won’t miss her.”

She tipped his face up a little higher and pressed her lips to his, and as she did so, she slid Inuyasha’s jewel shard right into his heart.

All thought of Kagome flew from his mind; all he could see, and hear, and think about, was Kikyo. Kikyo was now his master; Kikyo was now the one who would fulfill his desires and his dreams; Kikyo was now the one who possessed almost all of the jewel. 

“That’s right, Inuyasha,” she whispered against his lips, and she smiled when he let out a little whine, pitiful and desperate in the night. His heart was ice; his eyes were blind; his life was hers to do with as she desired. She kissed him again, and the shinidamachu bore them both up into the sky, and through the night, towards Kikyo’s castle.

Along the way, Kikyo asked him all kinds of questions about his life, which he answered eagerly. She asked him about his house, his mother, his father, his life at the estate; she asked him about his schooling, his patrols around the village; she asked him about his favorite and least favorite foods, and about his favorite and least favorite animals; she asked him lots of questions, but none were about Kagome, because he had already forgotten about her, and indeed, with every answer, he forgot that thing, and more. 

After hours of travel in the coils of the shinidamachu, they arrived in the northernmost regions of Hokkaido. And there nestled among the snow-covered mountains, was a castle, magnificent and gleaming. It was made of snow and ice, and when the shinidamachu set them down at the entrance to the castle, Inuyasha immediately padded up behind Kikyo; she smiled indulgently at her new pet and took his hand. His eyes, and his ears, were focused solely on her. 

Gently, Kikyo led him into the castle, which shone with an eerie, unknown glow. In the center of the great room there was a throne, tall and glistening and made from ice; the back was an intricate carving of snowflake patterns and flowers. Kikyo sank into the throne wearily, and looked to her right; there, floating just above the base of a pillar, was the Shikon jewel, nearly complete. Inuyasha knelt by her side; Kikyo waved her hand, and a pile of furs appeared at her feet. Inuyasha made them into a nest, then looked up at her expectantly. Kikyo laughed.

“Oh no, my darling,” she said, leaning forward and kissing him softly, “this bed is only for you.” He whined again, but she increased the pressure of the kiss, then separated from him and gestured to the ground. Inuyasha grumbled a little, but laid at her feet, completely wrapped up in the furs. Soon, he was asleep, woefully ignorant of his past.

Kikyo sighed. It had been easy—too easy—to lure Inuyasha here. And now, she had a vessel to store her final two jewel shards. To wait for a time when she could complete the jewel, and for a time when she could figure out how to make her selfish wish—to be free-unselfish.

But for now, Inuyasha, and his jewel shard? 

They were _hers_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where is Kikyo taking Inuyasha? And what will Kagome think when she wakes up the next morning to find Inuyasha gone? Find out all this, and more, at the next update, which will be next Wednesday!


	2. The Flower Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha is missing, and Kagome is off to try and find him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and well.
> 
> Welcome to the next chapter of Under the Sakura Tree! In this chapter, Kagome realizes Inuyasha is missing, and she takes measures to try and find him.

The next morning, Kagome sat at the kotatsu, breakfast ready, waiting for Inuyasha. She knew that he always went out for an early morning patrol, and, when he came back, he was always ravenous. But the time for Inuyasha to return from his patrol had come and gone, and the breakfast she had so lovingly prepared for him was growing cold.

Inuyasha was never late. Never. He always made it back to her, even if he had to cut his patrol short.

Something was wrong.

“Obaa-chan,” Kagome called, getting up from the kotatsu and slipping on her shoes, “I’m going over to Inuyasha’s. He’s not back from his patrol yet, and I’m worried.”

“Take care, child,” Kaede called back from her place by the fire. “The air was tingling with the scent of the damned last night. I hope that Inuyasha was not caught up in it.”

“Obaa-chan,” Kagome scoffed, “please. There’s no such thing as ‘the scent of the damned.’ Maybe he just overslept or something.” But even as she said those words, she knew them to be untrue.

Kagome grabbed her hooded shawl and stepped out into the early morning light. The reflection of the sun off the snow was dazzling and nearly blinded her immediately; Kagome instantly threw up a hand to block the glare. The snow came up nearly in line with the engawa; she sank into it past her ankles as she walked. 

Although Inuyasha’s house was only a short distance away, the walk seemed to take forever to Kagome. She was drenched from the knees down when she reached his engawa; she stepped up to the door and slid it open, peeking inside.

“Hello?” she called. “Inuyasha? Are you there?”

The silence was deafening. Kagome trudged into the genkan and slipped off her geta and her sopping tabi; she found her slippers by the door and put them on. 

“Hello?” she called again. When she reached the main room of the house, she froze, and gasped.

Inuyasha’s futon—she was sure that it was his—was stretched out in front of the fire, which was now just embers, but still glowing. _So he did make it home, even if just for a moment_.

Kagome quickly tore through the rest of the house; both his room, and his mother’s room, were empty. She went back to the front room and looked around wildly, for any hint, or any clue, of what might have happened to him. Had he gone out on patrol, and never come back? Had he gone outside the night before? 

Her mind reeled, and she fell to her knees, gripping her hair in her terror.

 _Where could he be_?

Kagome traded her slippers for her wet tabi and geta and went back out into the show. She wandered around the front of the house, wondering if she should call his name or not. If he was gone, why bother? 

An extra bright twinkle from the snow grabbed her attention suddenly, just in front of her, and Kagome bent down. There was a glistening of...was it gold?...coming up through the white, white snow. Kagome leaned down and dug her hands into the powder, and her fingers closed around something tiny. Kagome drew it out, gazed at it, and gasped.

It was a ring: a pearl ring, set in gold, with tiny diamonds on either side. It was simple, elegant, and stunning.

And Kagome knew: this was the ring Inuyasha planned to propose to her with.

And she also knew: something was very, very wrong. 

Desperate now, Kagome ran down the path from their houses to the village. She went into every shop, every place of business. She stopped to see their friends; she went to the schoolhouse. Everywhere she went, she asked the same question: “Have you seen Inuyasha?” 

And everywhere she went, the answer was the same: “No.”

Finally, after hours of searching, Kagome was forced to return home and tell her grandmother what happened.

“He is a hanyou,” her grandmother said, “and he is strong. He will come back.”  
  
When Inuyasha’s mother returned, Kagome went to tell her the dreadful news, but Izayoi didn’t seem to be concerned.

“I’m sure he’s just out on an extra-long patrol today, dear,” she said, patting Kagome’s arm. “Don’t worry yourself over it.”

And so this went on for two, three, four days. Every day, Kagome would go into the village, and ask the people she saw: “Have you seen Inuyasha?”

And every day, the response would be the same: “No.”

Kaede and Izayoi continued to not be concerned; but for Kagome, her concern only grew.

Finally, on the fifth day, when he still hadn’t returned, Kagome began to entertain the possibility that Inuyasha was dead. She couldn’t accept it—she _wouldn’t_ accept it—but even she had to admit that it was a real possibility now. He’d been gone for five days, with no word. Since he and Kagome had met, they’d never gone more than twelve hours without seeing each other. He’d left his futon in the main room of his house; Kagome’s ring was outside in the snow. There were few other explanations that fit. 

On the morning of the fifth day, Kagome went outside and wandered over to the sakura trees, which were waiting for the spring to be reborn. She leaned against a trunk, looked up into the sky, and saw the sun, shining down on her.

“Inuyasha is dead,” she told the sun.

“I don’t believe it,” the sun replied.

There were birds sitting among the branches of the sakura tree, offering plaintive coos. Kagome looked up at them, tears in her eyes.

“Inuyasha is dead,” she told the birds.

“We don’t believe it,” the birds chirped back.

Kagome felt at a loss. She didn’t know what to do. If the sun and the birds believed Inuyasha to be alive, could it be true? Could he still be alive?

There was one more place she felt that she had to try and ask. One more possibility for what might have happened to Inuyasha.

Kagome went inside and to her room. She undressed, then went to her wardrobe and pulled out a beautiful pink and gold kimono, and a red and gold obi. She redressed, put her shawl back on, then headed out into the wintry morning.

The river was a good distance from Inuyasha and Kagome’s houses, and the snow was high and very muddy in some places, but Kagome persevered, sticking to the path and trying to avoid any especially dirty puddles or especially high piles of snow. When she reached the river, she stood before it respectfully, bowed deeply, then removed her obi, making sure the ties of her kimono were secure.

Kagome stood at the river’s edge and shivered from the cold. “Have _you_ taken Inuyasha from me? Are you the one who has stolen him away?” She held her obi out over the water. “I will give you my obi if you will give him back.”

The water lapped at her feet, which Kagome took to mean that yes, the river _had_ taken Inuyasha, so she hurled the obi into the water with all her might. She watched as the river accepted her obi, then gasped with horror as the obi was gently brought back to land on the river’s waves. Kagome leaned down, accepted the obi, and proceeded to tie it in place, not really caring if it was wet. She then sat down in the snow and began to cry. 

She...she missed him. She missed his smile, the way that one fang always poked into his lower lip; she missed his golden eyes that seemed to twinkle just for her; she missed his laugh, which was rare, but booming and infectious; she missed the way he held her, the way he kissed her…

Kagome shivered. She just missed _all_ of him.

As she sat, weeping on the riverbank, when several cranes swam up to the edge of the water. They rose up and eyed Kagome closely. Kagome heard a soft warbling sound, and realized that the cranes were calling out to her. Even though they couldn’t talk to her, she was sure she could hear what they were saying. Soft words of comfort passed the cranes’ lips and entered Kagome’s brain, she smiled, the tears coming to her cheeks. 

She would be able to find Inuyasha; she was sure now. Alive or dead was a different issue.

The wind rustled, and moved aside some reeds in the water. Kagome followed the movement of the plants and saw a boat—old and rickety, but floating—coming toward her.

 _Aha_ , she thought. _Perhaps the boat will take me to Inuyasha_.

She kicked off her geta and tabi and waded into the water, hissing at the cold. She clambered into the boat, dried her feet with her shawl, then slipped her tabi and geta back on. The boat began to carry her upstream, away from the village, and closer, Kagome hoped, to Inuyasha.

* * *

  
The boat floated swiftly away upstream; Kagome watched as the riverbanks flashed by. The boat seemed creaky, and she prayed to all the gods in the heavens that it would bring her to Inuyasha. At first, she passed other boats: mostly fishermen, who gave an odd stare at a young woman in a nice kimono riding in such a rickety boat. But she merely smiled, and waved, and rode on, her heart and her mind only full of Inuyasha.

On and on she sailed, until not even fishing boats occupied the river. Kagome was alone, all alone, and she began to become afraid in spite of herself.

She rode on the currents all night; it was early morning when at last the boat docked itself on a soft riverbank. Kagome had been sleeping; when the boat made a gentle nudge against the soft sand of the bank, she yawned, and sat up slowly, looking around and blinking the sleep from her eyes.

The grass surrounding the river was vibrant green, and lush, and well-tended. She instantly wondered if this was someone’s land, and if so, if they had perhaps seen her true love. 

Kagome climbed out of the boat, which rocked dangerously, but did not fall, and she breathed a sigh of relief when at last her feet touched solid earth again. She stretched her body, and adjusted her obi. Curiously, she scoured the river bank for a path, looking for any sign of civilization. 

“Are you looking for someone, nee-san?”

Kagome’s head whipped up, and she saw two people approaching her; one man, and one woman. They were simply dressed in the clothing of farmers, but they were clean, and their faces wore friendly smiles.

“I—I—yes,” Kagome decided on. “I’m looking for my lost love, the hanyou Inuyasha. Have you seen him?”

The man and the woman looked at each other, and frowned. “We have not seen any hanyou here,” the man said at last.

“But if you come with us,” the woman added, “perhaps Kao-sama can help you.”

“Kao-sama?” Kagome repeated incredulously.

“He is our lord,” the man said, “and he is kind, and wise. If your Inuyasha has passed through these parts, surely he would know.”

Kagome thought about this for a moment. On one hand, she could thank the man and woman and go on her way. She could do this. They had given her no information; they had told her nothing beyond the fact that they had not seen Inuyasha. So she could continue to walk on her own, seek out a village, try to find Inuyasha on her own.

But, if this “Kao-sama” was in fact a lord, as these people claimed, perhaps he _would_ have useful information. Lords tended to know all the gossip, and if a hanyou had come into his lands, surely his Lordship would know. 

It was a chance she had to take.

“Okay,” she said, “I’ll come with you. Can you take me to Kao-sama?”

The woman nodded. “It is but a short walk,” she said, “so if you follow us, we will be there in a few minutes.” She and the man turned, and started to walk, and Kagome immediately followed them, looking back at her boat nostalgically one last time, sending it thanks for transporting her so far, and so safely.

Now, as she followed the man and the woman deeper into the woods, she felt an increasing sense of foreboding that was tempered by her admiration of the landscape. The forest was dotted with all kinds of stunning flowers: ajisai, tsubaki, asagao, and more. Kagome thought it was odd to see so many flowers growing in the middle of winter, but yet, she also noticed that the air here was not cold, and that the flowers seemed to be thriving. 

And she knew: this was a place that held magic.

“How come all the flowers here are blooming, when it is the middle of winter?” Kagome asked.

“Kao-sama makes it so that it is always spring here; the flowers always bloom, and the weather is always warm,” the woman said kindly. “Do you not feel warm in your shawl?”

“I—I do,” Kagome said.

“Then perhaps you will allow us to carry it for you?” the man said, stopping and turning to face her.

Kagome tucked it tighter around her body. “If it’s all the same,” she said, “I’d rather keep it myself. If I get too warm, I’ll carry it.”

“Suit yourself,” the woman said, shrugging. 

And so they continued to walk, for several more minutes, in silence. Kagome was too busy admiring all the blooming flowers to really notice, but the man and woman were again exchanging meaningful glances as they walked.

“Here,” the woman said suddenly, “We’re here. This is the beginning of Kao-sama’s property.”

Kagome gasped. There was a small hut set back from the path that they had traveled; while the hut itself was simple, the flowers planted around the foundation of the hut were quite lovely.

“Kao-sama has a green thumb,” Kagome commented.

“He does,” the man agreed—almost affectionately—”and he keeps us all well-taken care of.”

“This way,” the woman added, “we’ll take you to meet him.”

“That would be great,” Kagome said, looking at the small house apprehensively. A lord lived in such a small space?

“Do not allow appearances to deceive you here, nee-san,” said the man. “You will find that oftentimes, what you see with Kao-sama, is not what is really there.”

Kagome sighed and followed them up the walkway to the house. Although it was a traditional house and had a screen door, the man knocked to let the occupants know they had returned. Kagome heard a soft “enter,” and the man opened the door, Kagome followed him in, and was surprised to see such a beautiful interior to such a small house. The walls were polished until they shone, and the windows were made of real glass. The irori was very clean, but a kettle hung from the jizaikagi, and was whistling. 

“Ryu,” said a luminous, kind voice, “you have brought us a beautiful guest.”

The man—Ryu was his name, Kagome supposed—bowed low.

“Kao-sama,” he said, “Ami-san and I found her on the riverbank, and she claims she is looking for someone. We thought perhaps you could help her.”

Kagome gasped as the figure of a man turned slowly from the side of the room to face them; she realized that he had been standing at a table fixed to the wall, preparing cups of tea. He was… incredibly beautiful. His long hair hung about him in gentle, curling tendrils; he wore a tate-eboshi perched on his head. His suikan and hakama were white; he wore a red kimono underneath that was edged in beautiful flowers. His eyes were dark, but kind, and his face was shining and gentle. 

“Perhaps I can, Ryu,” Kao said. He took in Kagome’s visage, smiling gently as he did so. “What is your name, my dear?” He paused. “How silly. Allow me to introduce myself first.” He bowed to her. “Igarashi Kao, Lord of these lands.” He rose. “And you are?”

“Higurashi Kagome,” she said, bowing in return. “I have come from a village outside Kyoto, Kao-sama.”

“So far from here, Kagome-san,” he replied. He picked up two cups of tea and set them on the chabudai. “Come,” he said, “sit with me, and have some tea, and we will talk about how I can help you.”

“Thank you, Kao-sama,” Kagome said, because it had been a long time she had eaten or drunk anything, and she was indeed hungry and thirsty. She knelt at the chabudai, and watched with interest as Kao prepared his own tea. He was quite skilled, Kagome noted admiringly, and when he poured and served her tea, she accepted it gratefully. The woman (Ami, if Kagome remembered) served them a plate of namagashi and mochi and other sweet treats, and it took all of Kagome’s willpower not to devour the entire plate on sight.

“Now, Kagome-san,” said Kao, taking a delicate sip of his tea and eating the namagashi, “suppose you tell me how I can help you.”

Kagome sipped the tea, and was surprised again: the flavor was light, and delicate, and brewed expertly. “Your tea is delicious, Kao-sama,” she said.

He blushed a little under her compliment. “Thank you, Kagome-san,” he said. “It has taken me years of practice to brew the perfect tea.”

“It’s wonderful,” she said. She reached for a namagashi, Kao’s eyes watching her fingers carefully. Kagome was the picture of politeness, delicately placing the namagashi on her tongue and chewing it slowly carefully. Kao appeared satisfied, as he reached for his own piece of mochi, and ate it just as carefully.

Kagome swallowed her namagashi, took another sip of tea, then spoke. “I am looking for my true love, Kao-sama,” she said. “His name is Inuyasha, and he is a hanyou. He has long silver hair, adorable puppy dog ears, and wears all red.”

Kao pursed his lips slightly, as though he were in though. He sipped his tea. “I cannot say that anyone matching that description has come through here, Kagome-san,” he said. “But perhaps if you wait here, he will be sure to come this way. We see all kinds of travelers, and love to entertain. So maybe you will get to see him, after all, if you wait here for a day or two.”

Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but Kao interrupted her. “I think that you must be hungry for more than mochi and namagashi, Kagome-san,” he said. “Am I correct?”

Kagome couldn’t say he was wrong.

“Ami!” Kao called. “Bring Kagome-san some breakfast.”

Ami responded immediately, going through a door into another part of the house. When she returned, she carried two trays of food; she set one before Kagome, and one before Kao. Kagome looked over the breakfast and inhaled appreciatively. There was grilled salmon, and miso soup, and rice, and tsukemono. There were chopsticks, and a spoon, and Kagome and Kao looked at each other, picked up their chopsticks, said “itadakimasu,” and dug in.

The food was... _wonderful_. The salmon was flaky, and light, and cooked to perfection. It paired perfectly with the saltiness of the miso soup and the sourness of the pickled vegetables. Kagome nearly moaned from how tasty it all was. And after the breakfast came more treats: obanyaki, dorayaki...Kagome ate until she felt like she was going to have to loosen her obi—definitely _not_ lady-like.  
  
And while they ate, Kao asked her lots of questions: he asked about her home, her grandmother, and most of all, about Inuyasha: how they had met under the sakura trees, how much she loved to read to him there, and how, when they married, Kagome planned to plant their own little grove of sakura trees outside their house. Kagome answered his questions eagerly, shoveling more and more delicious food into her mouth; she could not stop eating, nor could she stop talking. Kao merely listened, and ate a little, and took all of her in.

He was...enchanted by her. She was so beautiful, and so unlike anyone he had ever seen before. Her hair shone blue black; her eyes were a mystical gray; her lips, lush, full, and a dusky pink; her kimono clung to her womanly form. He...wanted to keep her around. He...would do anything to keep her around. 

Especially to keep her away from Inuyasha.

“Please, finish your tea,” Kao said, rising. “I need to go attend to some matters and will return shortly. Only a few minutes, Kagome-san,” he added when her face fell slightly. “I’ll be back. I promise.”

He left Kagome, still munching on obanyaki and sipping her tea, and he went out through the back door to the main room, through the kitchen, to his garden. There, among his tsubaki, and himawari, and ume, and asijai, and akaibara, were two sakura trees, standing tall in the midst of the garden. Kao strode over to them, pressed his hands against the trunks of the trees, and whispered a few words of an incantation. There was a massive rumble in the garden, and the trees began to sink into the earth. Kao kept his hands on the trunks for as long as he could, only removing them when he absolutely had to. This spell required all his concentration; it was dangerous, as part of the spell linked his life to Kagome’s memory (should she remember Inuyasha, he would die), but to Kao? For Kagome, and her companionship, and many someday, something more, it was worth it.

Once the trees were completely buried in the earth, Kao smiled.

“Now,” he said to himself, “there is no reminder of Inuyasha in this house for Kagome. And now, she will stay, and forget him.”

When the sakura trees were completely buried in the earth, Kao waved his hand once, and grass and flowers magically filled the space once occupied by the trees. He turned, and went back into the house, where Kagome sat, fully sated and sipping her tea, and a dazed look on her face. Kao smiled, and held his hand out to her.

“Come, Kagome-san,” he said kindly, “it is not good to sit around after one has eaten so much. Let us go for a walk.” He paused for a moment. “I would like to show you something.” He smiled. 

Kagome smiled back, and accepted his hand. “Do you really think that Inuyasha might come this way?” she asked him.

Kao did not let her see his frown. “Of course,” Kao replied. “As I have said, we have many travelers come through here, and I am sure that sooner or later, we will see your Inuyasha.” He took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm, and led her out the door from where Ami had brought their food. 

They passed through a kitchen, and then, out the back door, which led to a lush and beautiful garden. Kagome let out an excited cry; she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. _Here_ , in the middle of winter, were flowers—beautiful, fully blooming _flowers_ —and Kagome broke free of Kao’s arm and raced through the garden, eagerly pressing her face into the akaibara, the tsubaki...all the flowers she could reach. When she saw the himawari, she cried out in delight again, and stood underneath them, marveling at their height, and at the way their faces turned up to the sun.

“Do you like it here, Kagome-san?” Kao asked her. 

“Oh,” Kagome gasped, “ _yes_.”

He smiled. “Then I hope you will officially do me the honor of staying with me for now,” he said politely. “You will have your own room, and Ami will tend to you.” He paused and looked her over. “I can also have some new clothes bought for you, if you would like.”

Kagome looked down at her kimono, and ahd to admit: it _was_ dirty, and her tabi were caked in mud. Not the best impression to give a lord.

Kagome blushed, and bowed. “If it pleases your Lordship,” she said politely, “then it pleases me.”

Kao smiled. “So it does, Kagome-san,” he said. 

* * *

The days that Kagome spent at Kao’s estate were long, and luxurious; never had she had so much idle time on her hands. She mostly spent it in the garden, where she enjoyed inhaling the sweet scents of the flowers; or walking the grounds with Kao, who was full of all kinds of interesting facts and stories; or, eating the delicious food that Ami prepared; or, at night, when she was tired, Kao would read to her, Kagome curled up at his feet, staring into the irori dreamily.

A dream was, in fact, exactly how she felt that she was living. Like there were things that she should remember, but couldn’t, that were on the tip of her tongue, or the edges of her mind, but when she reached out for them, they snapped and faded away. She felt as though she was there for a reason, that she was waiting for something to happen, but she could not remember, no matter how hard she tried. 

But she could not deny the fact that she was enjoying her time at the estate. Kao had supplied her with a vast wardrobe of silk kimonos, which she enjoyed wearing for him; and the food Ami prepared was always amazing. The garden was full of beautiful flowers that she loved to just among for hours, lost in their sweet, sweet scent. And Kao himself was kind, and attentive; he never pushed her for anything more than companionship, although she suspected that he would like more, even if she was not ready for that kind of commitment.

Or was she? He was handsome, definitely, and kind, and seemed to care for her.

As the days passed, Kagome began to think that maybe, just maybe, she could stay at Kao’s estate forever. 

Then, one day, Kagome happened to be sitting at her desk, writing out some ideas for dinners that Ami could try for the following week, when she looked up, and saw a small painting, set back in the hutch of her desk. She reached in, and pulled it out. It was small, and in a golden oval frame, but when Kagome saw it, she gasped, and nearly dropped it in her surprise.

It was a painting of sakura blossoms, full and swirling around, as though they were being blown from their branches. The painting was beautiful, and alive, and Kagome began to wonder why there were no sakura trees in the garden.

In a daze, she stumbled from her room, the painting clutched in her hand. She looked around; Kao was not in the great room; she called for him, and when he did not come, she knew he was out somewhere, off the property—he always seemed to be able to hear her if he was somewhere close by. She called for Ami, who also did not come. So Kagome went through the back door, and into the garden, where she looked around wildly. 

“Why are there no sakura trees here?” she wondered aloud. And Kagome sank to the ground in the middle of the garden, where she felt consumed by an imitable sadness, and she cried, and cried, and cried.

A rumbling beneath her caused her to scramble back in shock, her geta falling from her feet as she moved. Out of the earth, making a massive ruckus as they broke through the earth, were two sakura trees, blooming and beautiful, their blossoms shaking free with the force, pushing up the earth, the flowers, the grass, the rocks—everything that was in their way. When at last they stopped, standing taller than the sunflowers, Kagome made her way to them, and fell to her knees under the trees, her body covered by the still falling blossoms. 

Kagome scented the sweetness of the sakura flowers in the air, now overpowering the smell of the other flowers—even the akaibara—and for some reason, she began to weep once again. Her tears fell furiously, her fingers gripped the silky petals of the blossoms; she took them by the handfuls and held them up to her face. 

And suddenly, she was assaulted by a vision:   
Kagome, sitting under a sakura tree, a book in her hand, a head in her lap. She was scratching fluffy ears as she read…

 _INUYASHA_.

Kagome jumped to her feet. 

She had forgotten _INUYASHA_.

How could she have done that?

And that was when Kagome realized: she’d been under a spell. A spell designed to make her forget everything.

To forget Inuyasha.

Kagome held her head in her hands as the memories came flooding back: her house, her grandmother, Inuyasha under the sakura trees, Inuyasha sitting with her by the fire, Inuyasha kissing her, promising to see her the next day…

And with a start, she remembered, too, why she had come.

“Oh, sakura trees,” she said breathlessly, desperately, “Is Inuyasha dead?”

The trees turned their branches to her; one dipped down to caress her cheek gently with its blossoms.

“He is not,” they replied. “We have been in the ground all this time, where all the dead eventually return, but he is not there.”

Kagome started to respond, but the three continued to speak:  
“The one who should be here, and who is not, is the one called the Soul Queen; she once resided in the ground, but no longer does, and now walks the world of men, although she does not belong there.”

“Who cares about the Soul Queen!” Kagome said impatiently. “I need to find Inuyasha!”

“We do not know where he is,” the trees responded. “We are sorry; we cannot help you.”

Crying again now, Kagome flew about the garden, asking all the flowers if they had seen Inuyasha. But every flower she asked—the himawari, the tsubaki, the akaibara—they all answered the same.

“He is not dead,” they would say. “We have not seen him.”

All the while, Kagome was becoming increasingly agitated. She had been here for...how long? Hours? Days? _Weeks_? She wasn’t sure. Time was muddled in her mind and seemed to run together. But she did know one thing: no matter how much, or how little, time she had spent there, it was time that she had wasted, when she could have been looking for her love.

Kagome flew back to her room, grabbed some items, including her original kimono and obi she had first worn. She shoved them in a pack, made sure to slip her red shawl over her shoulders (because she also remembered that beyond the edges of Kao’s property, it was winter). She then left her room, and, with one withering glare around the main room, she left the house. 

As Kagome headed down the path that would take her back to civilization, back to her chance to find Inuyasha. As she was walking, she did not expect to see a tate-eboshi trotting along the path in her direction.

“Ah, Kagome,” Kao said, smiling fondly at her. “Why would you be headed this way? Surely there is nothing that you could want that I could not provide. Why don’t we go back to the house and I’ll see if we can have Ami fix you something.” He made to take her arm, but Kagome ripped it from his grip and growled at him.

“There _is_ something that you cannot provide me,” she snapped. “Inuyasha.” 

And Kao screamed, and gripped his heart; for as she remembered Inuyasha, as she spoke his name to Kao, this was surely the end of Kao’s life. He fell forward onto the path, gasping for air. Kagome found herself falling to her knees beside him, and clutching his hand; despite all that he had done to her, despite all the time he had kept her captive, kept her from going after _Inuyasha_ , he had still been good to her, and she still wanted to show him compassion.

Kagome turned him so that his head rested in her lap; his tate-eboshi had fallen by his side, and she was now able to run her fingers tenderly through his curls. She was amazed at how soft and silky his hair was.

“Ka—Kagome.” Kao’s voice was hoarse, and sharp, and rough. “I’m—I’m…”

“I’m sorry.”

Kagome leaned forward, brushed his hair out of the way, and kissed his forehead. “It’s okay,” she told him, even though it wasn’t. “I forgive you.” Which she found that she really did.

She held him until he breathed his last, and then, she called for Ami and Ryu. When they came, and they saw their Lord’s body, his head in Kagome’s lap, they too fell to their knees and wept. Kagome gently moved him from her lap; she spoke in soft tones to Ami and Ryu, then rose to her feet.

“Kagome-sama,” gasped Ami, her eyes full of tears, “won’t you stay with us? To say goodbye to Kao-sama?”

Kagome paused, and looked back at them. She found that her eyes were full of tears, too.

“I can’t,” Kagome said at last. “I have someone who is waiting for me, and I cannot keep him waiting any longer.” She paused. “Goodbye, Ami-san,” she added. “And goodbye, Ryu-san. Thank you for taking such good care of me, even though I was under an enchantment.”

“We’re sorry, Kagome-sama,” choked out Ryu.

Kagome smiled. “I know you are,” she replied. “But now, I must really be on my way.”

With one final wave, and a look back at the house, she continued on the path, leading her away from Kao, away from his little, but beautiful, house, his lush gardens, and towards Inuyasha. 

Every step meant that Kagome was growing colder and colder; the grass turned to mud, then to snow, and soon Kagome was avoiding the puddles and the snow again. But she saw that the path turned to the north, and Kagome followed it eagerly, knowing that every step forward was a step towards Inuyasha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> Kagome is wearing traditional tabi (socks) and geta (shoes)
> 
> The flowers in Kao's garden:  
> tsubaki: camellias  
> himawari: sunflowers  
> ume: plum blossoms  
> asijai: hydrangea  
> akaibara: red roses
> 
> Where will Kagome go next, and who will she run into on her adventure? Find out this, and more, on the next update! And as always, thanks so much for reading!


	3. The Bored "Princess" and the Persistent Monk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome meets someone who thinks they know where Inuyasha is. Together, they journey to Nagoya, where not everything is as it seems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! Wherever you are, I hope you're safe and doing well. 
> 
> Welcome to the next chapter of Under the Sakura Tree! In this chapter, Kagome makes some friends, and gets a lead on Inuyasha's whereabouts. Please enjoy!

For three days and nights, Kagome walked on, in search of Inuyasha. She stopped only to eat and to sleep; she had no money, but she did have the beautiful clothes from Kao, and at the first merchant she could find, she sold them all, and left with her pockets jingling with money. She ate when she was hungry, and she slept when she was tired. But she was at least able to pay her way, and thus was able to sleep in an actual house, or an inn, as opposed to by the side of the road.

On the third day, Kagome was sitting outside an inn where she had spent the night, putting on her tabi and geta and getting ready to leave. As she started to rise, she thought she saw a little flash of red go past her feet and disappear under the engawa. She got to her feet, dropped to her knees, and peered under the porch.

“Hello there,” she called. “You can come out; it’s okay.”

A pair of bright emerald eyes looked out at her, blinked a few times, and then slowly crawled out. Kagome gasped; it was an adorable little kitsune, wearing a kosode and hakama, his fur tied back in a turquoise ribbon. He was...so tiny...Kagome’s heart twisted and broke as she wondered where his parents were, and why he was alone.

“Hey,” she said softly. 

The kitsune turned a bright eye to Kagome.

“Hi,” he said cautiously, toeing the dirt. Kagome saw his eyes travel up to the bag that she carried, and Kagome immediately understood what he was looking for.

“Are...are you hungry?” 

A nod from the tiny kitsune had Kagome immediately rifling through her bag. She pulled out some mochi, and handed it to the little fox, who began to eat delicately. Kagome sat back down on the steps and watched him with interest.

“So, little kitsune,” Kagome said, leaning forward and gently wiping his face with her thumb, “what brings you here? Where are your parents?”

The kitsune frowned. “My mom died a long time ago,” he said sadly. “My dad...had a shard of the Shikon jewel, and the Soul Queen came and took his soul and his jewel shard. He forgot who I am...he forgot that he needed to take care of me. Since then...I haven’t met anyone that I can trust.” The kitsune blinked tears out of his eyes, and Kagome reached forward and took him into her arms. 

“You poor thing,” Kagome whispered, stroking his fur. “You can trust me; I promise.” The kitsune snuggled into Kagome’s arms, and Kagome sat there for a few minutes, gently holding him. “What’s your name?” she added.

“Shippo,” the kitsune murmured. “I’m Shippo.”

“I’m Kagome,” she said.

“Kagome,” Shippo said. “Thank you for the food.”

“You’re so welcome,” Kagome replied, still snuggling him. He was so soft, and sweet, and cute. 

“Are you alone too?” 

“I am,” Kagome told him. “I’m looking for someone.” 

“Oh?” Shippo popped out of her arms and scrambled up onto the engawa railing. He peered at her with wide eyes again. “Who are you looking for?”

“My lost love,” Kagome said. “Inuyasha.”

And so Kagome told Shippo the story of Inuyasha: how they met, how they fell in love, how he went missing. How she spent too much time at Kao’s estate. How she was now looking for someone—anyone—who might have seen Inuyasha. When she finished her story, Shippo looked thoughtful, scratching his chin. Kagome decided to take a chance.

“Shippo-chan,” she said, “have _you_ seen Inuyasha?”

Shippo rubbed his arms and blinked. “Maybe,” he said carefully, slowly. “Maybe I have.”

Kagome’s eyes lit up, and she leapt to her feet. “Have you? Oh, have you?” she cried, and picked up Shippo and spun him around in her happiness. Shippo squealed, and Kagome set him down. He tottered on his feet.

“Careful, Kagome,” Shippo exclaimed, rubbing his head and blinking his large eyes. “You’ve made me dizzy! Do you want me to tell you about Inuyasha, or not?

“Oh, Shippo,” cooed Kagome, taking him into her arms again and hugging him closely. “I’m so sorry. Please, please tell me what you know.” 

“I think I saw your ‘Inuyasha,’” Shippo said, “in a city east of here. But…” He lowered his gaze and refused to look up at Kagome. 

Kagome tilted his chin up to look at her. “Please, Shippo,” she said. “Please tell me.”

“I think that he would have forgotten you by now,” Shippo said slowly, “because of the Princess.”

“Princess?” Kagome said. “What ‘Princess?’ I thought the princesses only lived in royal palaces.”

“This is not a royal princess,” Shippo said, “but in the city of Nagoya, there lives a business man with two children. His older child is a daughter, named Sango. The people who live there say that Sango is one of the smartest women that you will ever meet, and they call her the Princess of Nagoya, because her father is so wealthy and she is so smart and strong. She knows a little about a lot of topics. I heard that she reads all different kinds of books, that she reads lots of newspapers, and knows the news of all of Japan. She has excellent math skills; she would be a great candidate to take over her father’s company. But, because she’s a _woman_ , she’s not allowed to work for her father, nor is she allowed to inherit his money or his property.”

“A law,” Kagome grumbled, “that should be changed."

Shippo stared at her, frowning, but continued his story.

“Apparently, the Princess was so insistent that her father allow her to work for him—to inherit his business someday—that she refused to get married. And this went on for quite some time, until the Princess really started to think about the good and the bad of marriage.” Shippo frowned. “From what I’ve heard, she began to realize that it might not be so bad to get married, to the right man. If she could find a husband who she could _control_ , and who would obey _her_ , and not the other way around, then she thought that maybe, that would be a husband she would consider marrying.”

Shippo nuzzled Kagome’s arm, and she held him close. “So what happened with this so-called ‘Princess’ next?” Kagome asked him.

Shippo frowned. “The Princess got her best friends, told them her idea, and they all thought it was really good. They decided to help her find a husband that would fit what she wanted.” He paused. “I think it’s dumb what they did,” he added. "All this just to get a husband?”

“Women have done much worse, Shippo-chan,” Kagome said. “Please go on with your story.”

Shippo huffed. “Fine,” he said. “The Princess’ silly friends sent out announcements to the newspapers; they spread the word amongst their other gossipy friends and their families. And within a few days, there was a long line of men, starting at the castle gates and going all the way back into the city.” He laughed. “Like any of those men stood a chance with the Princess. The line was so long...it started at their house and must have stretched for three blocks! The household staff was actually bringing them food and drink.” Shippo’s eyes grew a little sad. “Some of them were even kind enough to feed me.”

“Did you see Inuyasha among them, Shippo?” Kagome asked. “Is that where you know him from?”

“I’m just getting to that,” Shippo said, adjusting himself in her lap. “One day, as I was getting ready to beg for food again along the line, I saw a young man standing near the gates, looking up at them. His hair was tied back, and his clothes were all the same color.”

“That _must_ be him!” exclaimed Kagome, thinking of Inuyasha’s robe of the fire rat. “That _has_ to be Inuyasha!”

“If it _is_ him,” Shippo said, “I saw him go through the gate outside the house, past the staff, and up to the engawa. He walked right past all the men waiting in line, saying, ‘What the fuck is everyone standing around for? Fuck it, I’m going in.’”

Kagome began to laugh, forgetting that she should chastise the little kitsune for his choice of words. “That’s _definitely_ Inuyasha,” she said. “His language is terrible.”

“I followed him, over the gate and to the engawa,” Shippo continued, “and because I’m so little, no one paid me any mind. But when he went into the house, the man at the door tried to offer him slippers, he refused, saying that he preferred to go barefoot than wear the slippers of the Princess. I followed him inside, and when he went into the washitsu, the Princess was sitting there, reading a book; she looked _really_ bored. 

“As the bad-mouthed young man approached her, all the staff came into the washitsu too, so they could hear what he had to say. She looked up,” Shippo added, “and I was looking in through the window, but I think she looked surprised.”

“What did he say to her, Shippo-chan?” Kagome asked, nearly breathless.

“He said,” Shippo replied, “That he wasn’t there to win her heart, but instead, to win her mind. That he had heard rumors of her intelligence, and he wanted to come and experience it for himself.”

“Oh,” Kagome cried, “that must be Inuyasha! Maybe he went to see the Princess to try and figure out how to get back to me! Shippo-chan,” she said urgently, “can you take me to the house where Inuyasha is?”

“You know that a house like that, owned by someone so wealthy, is going to be heavily guarded, Kagome,” Shippo said to her. “You can’t just go barging into the house.”

“But Inuyasha just walked right in,” Kagome pointed out, “so maybe I can too.”

“He’s a man, though, Kagome,” Shippo responded, “and there was a contest to win the Princess’ heart! You’re only a girl! What business could you have at the house of so great a family?”

Kagome rose, with Shippo still in her arms, and began to pace; how _could_ she possibly get into the estate?

“Ka—Kagome?” Shippo said, turning his green eyes up to her. “I—I have an idea.”

“Anything, Shippo-chan,” Kagome said, “anything you can do to help.”

“The Princess has a younger brother,” Shippo said. “I heard the staff talking about him. His name is Kohaku. They were complaining that he is always traveling, and always spending his father’s money, instead of being at home and working in the family company. And he’s always got a girl with him.” Shippo’s eyes narrowed. “I saw a picture of him, Kagome. How about if we go to the house, and I’ll be Kohaku, and you can be my fiancée?” 

Kagome frowned. “How can _you_ be Kohaku, Shippo-chan?” she asked him. “You’re so little?”

Shippo grinned. “I am a kitsune, Kagome,” he said. “I have some kitsune magic I can use. But for you....I’m sorry,” he added, “but I can’t make you a dress.”

“Oh, Shippo-chan,” Kagome said, “that’s okay.” She pulled her purse out from the folds of her robes. “I’ll be able to buy something appropriate.” Her eyes narrowed. “What do you say you take me to that house in Nagoya?” she asked. “I think it’s time that I go and get Inuyasha.”

* * *

Kagome’s plan seemed to be working perfectly. At least, in terms of getting her to the gates of the estate.

Shippo’s kitsune magic was pretty good, for him being so little. He was able to turn himself into a bird, big enough for Kagome to ride on, and so they ended up making quick work of the trip to Nagoya. Once they were there, she found a dress shop that sold the kind of kimonos she needed. She regretted for a brief moment selling the kimonos that Kao had given her, but this was a chance for her to start fresh, with something _she_ picked out, as opposed to something that was picked out for her. And Kagome knew what she looked best in: red, and pink, and gold. And she found a beautiful kimono that set off her hair and her gray eyes wonderfully. It was fully red, with pink, gold, and white cranes, as well as chrysanthemums, dotting the fabric. The obi she chose was ivory, and gold, and purple, and navy blue, and stood out beautifully against the silk fabric of the kimono.

When she wrapped her shawl around her kimono, Shippo barked appreciatively. “You look the part, Kagome,” he told her. “Now let’s see if we can get inside the estate.”

Kagome nodded, her face set in determination. “I think we can do it, Shippo-chan,” she said. She bent over and picked him up, engulfing him in a big hug. “Thanks for getting me this far,” she added. “I just hope that your disguise works.”

Shippo grinned. “Don’t worry, Kagome,” he said. “It’ll be great.”

After Kagome paid for her new kimono, which she wore out of the shop, Shippo said to her, “Wait here,” and dashed away. Kagome leaned against the wall of the shop and looked around. The city of Nagoya was small, but bustling, with lots of shops and businesses lining the streets. She found it hard to believe that Inuyasha would have made his way there in his attempts to get back to her, but…

Kagome’s heart stopped. Was he perhaps hurt? Or sick? Or had something happened to him that made it impossible for him to make his way back to her? Whatever it was, if it _did_ happen to be Inuyasha in the Princess’ house, she needed to get to him, and get him home, where he would be safe.

“Kagome,” said a soft male voice. She turned, and saw a handsome young man standing awkwardly to her left. His dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and he wore a dark gray Western-style suit with a blue vest and matching pocket square. A fedora perched on his head, and he bowed jauntily to Kagome.

Kagome’s eyes widened as she took in the young man in front of her. “Sh—Shippo?” she whispered.

The young man winked, and held out his arm. “Come on, Kagome,” he said as she took his arm, “it’s a few blocks to my family home, and we’ve got to hurry if we’re going to make it for dinner.”

Kagome and Shippo/Kohaku walked together through the streets, Kagome taking the time to look around and see the sights of the city. The buildings were a mix of modern and classical, with traditional homes sandwiched in between concrete and brick. She secretly wondered if all cities were like this...even though Kagome lived near Kyoto, she had actually never been there; Nagoya was the first bigger city she had been to.

“Here,” Shippo said, rounding a corner. “We’re getting close.”

Kagome’s eyes grew wide for the second time that day as she saw the long line of young men going all the way down the street. “Are these the…” she asked wonderingly.

“Yup,” Shippo nodded, moving a little bit closer to her. “Just stay with me, and you’ll be fine.”

Kagome scoffed. “I’m not afraid of some men, Shippo.”

“No,” Shippo said, “but they might try to follow us in.” 

They approached the estate gate, Shippo moving in front of Kagome to take the lead. Kagome saw a tiny puff in the back of his suit, and realized that it was his tail...Shippo wasn’t able to completely transform. She instantly moved closer to him, so that his back wasn’t as visible. Together, they walked up to the gate, and when Shippo moved to open it, a staff member stopped him.

“Kohaku-sama!” said the person, a tall man in a haori and hakama. “We are surprised to see you. We...did not know to expect your return so soon.”

Shippo tossed his head. “Please,” he said disdainfully, “why do I need to tell my staff when I come and go from my own home? You know…”

“Materu Hodaka,” the man said instantly.

“Hodaka-san,” Shippo said snappishly ( _how was he so good at being a brat_?), “I hope that I do not need to take up your insolence with my father when he returns.”

Hodaka instantly bowed deeply. “Not at all, Kohaku-sama!” he said. “Please, don’t do that.”

“Then please,” Shippo said, “let us in.”

“Of course, sir,” Hodaka said, and pushed open the gate. Shippo grabbed Kagome’s arm and tugged her along after him. The gate closed behind them, and Shippo and Kagome looked ahead at the screen door to the house. 

“You’ve got this, _Kohaku_ ,” Kagome breathed. Shippo turned one dark brown eye to her, and flashed a grin. He stalked up to the door, and slid it open.

“I’m home!” he called out, slipping his shoes off in the genkan. Kagome followed suit with her geta, leaving them next to Shippo’s.

“Kohaku?” A sweet, melodic voice found its way to them from the washitsu. Kagome and Shippo padded over to the room, and there they saw a lovely young woman seated at the kotatsu, reading a book, looking bored. Her face turned up when they entered, and her dark brown eyes—the same color as Kohaku’s, if he were really there, Kagome noticed—and her face broke out into a wide smile.

“You’re home!” she exclaimed, and rushed over to him, bringing him into a warm hug.

“Aneue,” Shippo said, hugging his sister back. 

“You’re back earlier than we expected,” the young woman said, pulling away from him. 

“I...had a good reason to come home,” Shippo said, turning to Kagome, who immediately bowed. “Aneue, may I present Higurashi Kagome, my fiancée.”

“Fiancée!” The woman’s face looked briefly scandalized, then settled into a soft smile. “I didn’t know you were even in love with anyone, Kohaku!”

Shippo laughed sheepishly. “Yeah, well...it was kind of a love-at-first-sight thing, wasn’t it, Kagome?” he said, turning to Kagome.

“I’m so sorry,” Kagome apologized, bowing to the woman. “We should have sent word.”

The young woman laughed. “Not at all,” she said, bowing back. “I’m Taijiya Sango, Kohaku’s older sister. Welcome to our home! I hope you find yourself very comfortable here.”

“I’m sure that I will,” Kagome said warmly, her eyes darting around. Shippo had done it! He’d gotten them into the house. Now...to find Inuyasha.

“Aneue,” Shippo said suddenly, “why are all those men lined up outside the house?”

“Bah,” Sango scoffed. “They all think that they’re good enough to marry me.”

“Marry you?” Kagome exclaimed, even though she’d heard the story before.

“Marry me,” Sango repeated. “My father wishes me married, so...I decided to take matters into my own hands.” She gestured towards the window. “All the men out there...they think they are worthy of being my husband. They think that they’re the ones who can obey me, can give themselves over to me fully. But every single man who walks through the door?” Sango lowered her voice, and took Kagome’s hands. “They fail,” she said. “They fail, and they all end up leaving here without a wife, and with an angry Sango who has wasted her time on them.” She growled, then sighed. “I don’t want to take a husband like a good oyome-san, Kagome-chan.” She looked at Shippo, who flinched. “You’re not going to make Kagome-chan obey you like that, are you?”

“No—no?” Shippo’s voice was barely a squeak, and Kagome held her breath, for sure that Sango would be suspicious. But Sango simply laughed, and took his arm, and led him away down the hall, Kagome trailing after them, her eyes darting everywhere, looking for Inuyasha.

“So you have not found _any_ of the men who have crossed our threshold appealing to you, Aneue?” Shippo asked, and Kagome knew why. He had _seen_ Inuyasha in the house. Shippo _knew_ that Inuyasha had been there, just a week or two prior. And now...he was gone?

Sango scoffed. “There was one,” she said offhandedly, “one who held my interest. Handsome, long hair tied back, robes. Smart. But I don’t think it would have made a good match, Kohaku.”

“So you...sent him away?” Shippo asked. Kagome held her breath.

Sango giggled. “Actually,” she said, “he won’t take no for an answer. So he’s been back here every single day since, trying to talk to me about something he says is _so important_. But I can’t imagine what that would be, save a marriage proposal, so every day, I refuse to listen to him, and I send him away every time he brings it up.” As they headed towards the kitchen, Sango turned to one of the servants in the hall. “Can you bring us some tea, please, Megumi-san?” she asked politely. “And some namagashi too?” The servant nodded, and Sango steered them past the kitchen and towards the screen at the end of the hall. “Why don’t we have tea in the chashitsu?” she said. “And you can tell me all about yourself,” she added to Kagome, who tried not to visibly gulp.

This...this was all wrong. They were in the house of a kind young woman, who was excited to see her brother engaged, and what had they done? They had lied, and they had cheated their way inside. Kagome’s doubts began to creep into her mind. What if...the young man wasn’t Inuyasha? Or worse...what if he _was_ , and he _was_ trying to propose to Sango? What then? Had he forgotten Kagome? Had he left and given up on her altogether? Kagome started to feel sick; Shippo’s hand, putting light pressure on hers, helped her relax.

The chashitsu was outside the regular house; Sango led them across the gardens and over to the small building. Inside, a fire burned merrily in the irori, meaning that even though the room had been empty, it was still warm. They washed their hands and mouths before entering, and took their seats around the chabudai in the room. Kagome gasped as she took in the soft tatami mats, the tokonoma, the simple calligraphy scroll. It was all so simple, and so beautiful. As they all settled themselves, the servant from the hallway—Megumi, Kagome remembered—brought them a tea service, and poured the tea for each of them. “Would you like me to stay, Sango-sama?” asked Megumi.

Sango waved her hand. “If anyone requires more tea,” Sango said, “I will serve them myself.” Megumi bowed again, and left them alone, Sango looking at Shippo and Kagome with interest.

“So, Kagome-chan,” she said, sipping her tea delicately, “tell me. Where did you meet my brother?”

Shippo’s mouth dropped open, but Kagome was smooth. “Kyoto,” Kagome said. “We met in Kyoto. I was out with my grandmother, and he was kind enough to help us across the street. And then I invited him to tea to say thank you, and…” She even managed a light blush. “One thing led to another, I guess?” She giggled.

“And what do you do, Kagome?” Sango asked interestedly. “Are you in school still? Do you have a job?”

“I take care of my grandmother, Sango-san,” Kagome replied. “She is old, and only has the use of one eye. So most of my time is dedicated to caring for her.”

“And yet, you came back with my brother all the way to Nagoya,” Sango said, setting her tea down and looking solidly at Kagome.

“Our neighbor has agreed to look in on her,” Kagome answered, feeling a pang in her heart at the thought of Izayoi taking care of Kaede. That part...wasn’t a lie.

It just...wasn’t an easy thing for her to think about.

“We won’t keep you here long, then, Kagome-chan,” Sango said. “I’m sure that you’re anxious to get back to your grandmother.”

“I definitely am, Sango-san,” replied Kagome,” and thank you.”

Sango then turned to Shippo, who drew back slightly under her gaze. “So,” she said, setting her tea down and crossing her arms, “do you plan to come back and work for Chichiue anytime soon?”

“Umm—” Shippo faltered. Apparently, Kagome realized, his disguises were better than his ability to lie when directly confronted.

“You told me that you would, anata, remember?” Kagome prodded gently. “After the wedding?”

“And you will get married here, no?” Sango asked.

“Probably not, if it’s all right,” Kagome replied. “My grandmother won’t be able to travel far, and I would like her to be at the ceremony. We could certainly do a ceremony here, as well, but she likes Kohaku and very much wishes to be at our wedding.”

Sango opened her mouth to reply, but the servant Megumi appeared in the chashitsu once again. “Excuse me, Sango-sama,” she said hesitantly.

“Yes, Megumi,” Sango replied impatiently, “what is it?”

“That young man is here _again_ ,” Megumi told her. “What should I do? Should we get rid of him?”

“Not at all,” replied Sango, waving her hand. “Bring him back here.” She turned to Shippo and Kagome as Megumi left the chasitsu. “You’ll get to meet the young man who has been trying to steal my heart.”

Kagome sat straight up and shot a look of hope at Shippo, who smiled slightly. 

Was this it? Was she _finally_ going to get to see Inuyasha? 

Megumi returned, and there was a tall figure behind her. Kagome strained to look behind her. Who...who was it? Who could it be?

“Houshi-sama,” Sango said with a slight sigh, “how... _nice_...to see you again.”

Megumi stepped aside, and Kagome’s heart fell.

It...wasn’t Inuyasha.

It was a tall man, yes, and he wore his hair in a ponytail, yes, and he wore robes (also yes), but the man’s hair was black, and relatively short. His robes were purple, and he had a sly grin on his face. His violet eyes were dancing; Kagome felt like crying.

“My dear Sango,” he said, coming up and joining them at the low table, “I see you have company?” He turned a smile to Kagome and Shippo, but that smile quickly faded when his eyes rested on Shippo. He reached into his robes, and pulled out a shakujo; Kagome immediately moved in front of Shippo to protect him.

“Sango,” the young man said in a strained voice, “did you know that these two are _imposters_?”

“What...what on earth do you mean?” asked Sango.

“I _mean_ ,” said the man through gritted teeth, “that’s not your brother. That...that’s a _kitsune_.”

“What?” Sango cried. She turned to Shippo and Kagome, and got to her feet, stumbling backwards. “You two,” she said with shaking hands, “ _explain yourselves_.”

Shippo looked at Kagome, sighed, and tapped his forehead once. In a puff of smoke, Kohaku vanished, only to be replaced by the tiny kitsune, who immediately scrambled into Kagome’s lap. 

“I’m sorry,” Kagome said quickly, “I’m so, so sorry. We were just…” She looked from Sango, whose face was red and looked beyond angry, to the monk, who simply looked confused. 

“Where...where is my brother?” Sango exclaimed.

“Still...wherever you thought he was?” Kagome said slowly.

“Then what in all of the heavens just happened here?” she asked.

The monk held up a hand. “If I may,” he said, and the look he flashed Kagome was not unkind. She immediately relaxed. _Maybe we’re not going to jail after all_ , she thought to herself.

“It’s very clear to me that you have come into this house under false pretenses,” he began. “But you don’t seem like bad people; your auras are honest and pure. So please, tell us...what can we do for you? Why are you really here?”

“Houshi-sama,” Sango interjected. “How do we know they are honest?”

He knelt at the chabudai and looked Kagome directly in the eyes. Violet met gray as he smiled gently. “My name is Miroku,” he said. “I’m a monk, but I have been courting the lovely Sango here these past few weeks.”

“I—I’m sorry,” Sango said, choking slightly on the tea she had just sipped, “but you’ve been _courting me_? Is that really true?”

He laughed. “Have I not been obvious enough, dear Sango?” he asked, turning to her and holding up a hand in her direction. She hesitated, took it, and then rejoined them at the chabudai. Kagome didn’t miss the way that he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, or the fact that when she was settled, she didn’t remove her hand from his grip. Sango, did, however, flush prettily and turn away. 

“I—I can’t believe this,” Sango muttered, and Kagome wasn’t sure if Sango meant that Miroku was courting her at all, or that he had admitted it in front of strangers.

Miroku laughed softly. “Believe it, Sango dear,” he replied. He covered her hand in both of his, and pressed it gently to his chest. “I may have been drawn here by your intellect,” he said, “but I stayed because you are not only intelligent, but also beautiful, and witty, and kind, and generous. You have humored me every single day, never kicking me out, even if you would never let me declare my love for you.”

“Wh—what?” Sango blinked. “I mean... _yes_ , I thought you were probably going to try and propose to me, but that you’re _in love with me_?”

“Love is different from marriage, Sango,” Miroku said. “You are right about that. I have been in love many times…” Both Kagome and Sango gasped at that, but Miroku kept talking, as smoothly as if he hadn’t just admitted that, “but I have never felt the pull towards marriage that I feel with you. Sango,” he continued, “I want more than anything to marry you. And I promise to love you, and cherish you, and obey you.” He leaned forward, and Kagome blushed at the intimate way he looked at her. “Will you have me, Sango?” he whispered. “Will you let me marry you?”

Sango took deep, gasping breaths, and pressed her other hand to Miroku’s chest. “You...you’re proposing to me?” she asked softly. “In front of complete and total strangers?”

“Darling Sango; dear, dear Sango,” he replied, “I would propose to you in front of a million strangers. The only thing that matters is how you respond.”

“I—I—” Kagome could sense Sango’s hesitation. She started to get to her feet. “We’ll give you some privacy, Sango-san, Miroku-sama,” she said.

“You are _not_ moving from that spot until you tell me why you’re here and why you decided to impersonate my brother,” Sango said, never taking her eyes from Miroku even as she reprimanded Kagome. “And as for you,” she said to Miroku, her voice softening, “If I am going to marry you, first I need to resolve this whole...thing.” She shot a devastating look at Kagome, who shrank back; Shippo hid in the folds of Kagome’s kimono.

“I’ll make this as quick as possible,” Kagome said, the haste and desperation seeping into her tone. “A few weeks ago, my...well, he was supposed to be my betrothed...my _Inuyasha_ ...was taken from me.” Sango and Miroku both turned to face her now, concern lining Miroku’s face, sympathy lining Sango’s. “I have been searching for him ever since the morning he didn’t show up at my house for breakfast. The part about me leaving my grandmother,” she said now to Sango, “that was true. I had to leave her...but not to come here, with my fiancé. I came to _find_ my fiancé. This little kitsune here—” she paused to ruffle Shippo’s hair, and he purred and snuggled in close to her, “—told me that he saw a man with a ponytail, a fresh mouth, and robes that were all the same color come here. And that...that describes my Inuyasha perfectly.” She sighed. “But it sounds more like Shippo saw _you_ , Miroku-sama, and not Inuyasha.”

“I rarely swear,” Miroku said thoughtfully, “but I suppose in that moment, I was trying to emphasize how badly I wanted to see Sango. I must have used some choice words.” He laughed softly. “Tell me what your Inuyasha looks like...”

“Higurashi Kagome,” Kagome supplied.

“Kagome-san,” Miroku continued. “Maybe I can be of some help to you? I have traveled this area quite a bit in the last few weeks...before settling outside my dear Sango’s door...and perhaps I can help you?”

“Miroku-sama!” Kagome exclaimed, holding her hands to her heart. “You might know where he is?”

“Perhaps,” Miroku said. “Now, his appearance, Kagome-san, if you would.”

“He’s a hanyou,” Kagome said immediately, “with long, silver hair, and beautiful little dog ears atop his head. And he’s got the most beautiful golden eyes, and two fangs that press into his bottom lip when he smiles. And he wears a red robe of the fire rat, and matching hakama. The robe belonged to his father, and he always wore it.”

“A hanyou in a robe of the fire rat,” Miroku said, scratching his chin with his fingernails. “Kagome-san, does your hanyou...can he fly?”

“Fly?” Kagome shook her head. “He can run really fast, and jump really high, but he can’t fly.”

“That’s too bad,” Miroku answered her. “Because I could have sworn I saw someone who matched your description…” He snapped his fingers. “Yes!” he exclaimed. “The Soul Queen has him.”

The feeling of terror that gripped Kagome’s heart was nearly more than she could take. “How...the Soul Queen?”

Miroku nodded. “A few weeks ago, I was camping outdoors. It was very late. I was settled close to the fire—it was also terribly cold that night, if I remember correctly—and I happened to feel a breeze, and the energy of a shimindachu. When I looked into the sky, I saw the Soul Queen, with her shinidamachu, and wrapped up in her soul collectors was a figure—long silver hair, red clothes.” Miroku paused. “Could that be your Inuyasha?”

“YES.” Kagome couldn’t tell if her voice was too loud or not loud enough. She...she couldn’t believe it. After all her travels, and after all her troubles, she had a _lead on Inuyasha_. 

Except…

“How do I find him, then, Miroku-sama?” Kagome asked. “How do I figure out where he is? Where does the Soul Queen live?”

Miroku shrugged. “No one knows where the Soul Queen lives, Kagome-san. The best you can do is head north, and look for people who will help you.”

“I’m so sorry that you lost your love, Kagome-chan,” Sango said sympathetically.

“And I’m sorry we pretended to be your brother to get into your house,” Kagome replied. “I just...when Shippo described... _Miroku-sama_...I thought there was a chance he could be Inuyasha, and I had to come and see.”

Sango squeezed Miroku’s hand. “You’re traveling the countryside, looking for your lost love,” she said to Kagome. “I should have been a little bit more compassionate. I...I’m sorry, too.”

Kagome smiled. “The best way the two of you can make this up to me to get married,” she said, a light smirk on her face that morphed into laughter when Sango gasped. “You are so crazy about each other it’s hard to miss. Sango, did you know that you’re still holding Miroku-sama’s hand?” When Sango looked down and ripped her hand from Miroku’s, he laughed. 

“Oh, my dear Sango,” he said. “What say you? After all, it was Kagome’s duplicity that got us to this point. We clearly couldn’t do it on our own.”

“No, we couldn’t,” Sango replied, just as sweetly. “So I guess we will have to wait until Kagome comes back this way to get married, too.”

“Wait.” Miroku’s eyes grew huge, and he drew Sango to him. “You don’t mean…” he said softly.

“Yes,” Sango said. “I will marry you, houshi-sama, you silly, lecherous monk.”

Miroku let out a whoop and hugged Sango close to him. When she squeaked, and tried to get out of his grip, he let her, and then grinned at her bewilderment. “You really will?” he asked, and when she nodded, he tilted her face up to his and dropped down on her lips a sweet, sexy kiss that again made Kagome blush. She got to her feet, Shippo scrambling onto her shoulder. 

“In the meantime,” she said, “Inuyasha.”

“Yes,” said the monk, his lips now ghosting Sango’s, “Inuyasha.” He sighed, and pulled away from his fiance, and turned his gaze to Kagome and Shippo. “All I know about the Soul Queen is that she lives in a castle far to the north,” he told her. “You’ll need transportation,” he added. “No one knows where her castle is, but I am sure that it’s not a place you can get to as a human. You’re going to need help, and more help than a kitsune can give.” Miroku eyed Shippo, who hissed at him and then settled down in Kagome’s arms more deeply.

“So…” Kagome replied, “go north, find transportation. I think I can do that.”

“If you can find a way to get north,” Miroku said, “I am sure that you’ll find her castle.”

Kagome got to her feet; Miroku and Sango did the same. “Thank you, Sango-san, Miroku-sama,” she said. “You’ve been so helpful. I’m sorry we were here under false pretenses.”

Sango waved her hand. “You came here in the name of true love,” she replied. “That’s more than enough excuse for me.”

Kagome bowed. “Again, thank you both,” she said. 

“I hope our paths cross again, Kagome-chan,” Sango replied, bowing as well.

“And remember, Kagome-san,” Miroku said. “To the north. Find transportation.”

“North, transportation,” Kagome said. “Got it. Thank you, Miroku-sama, again!”

Miroku and Sango walked Kagome and Shippo to the gate, Sango stopping in the kitchens to bring Kagome a bag of fresh food. When she pressed some notes into Kagome’s hand, Kagome protested, then threw her arms around her new friend in thanks.

And so it was that Shippo and Kagome left the home of the Princess, who was now engaged to a monk, who would love her and honor her all the days of their lives. And Kagome couldn’t help but feel a little warm, and a little sad, at the thought of Sango and Miroku getting to start their lives together, and she and Inuyasha so far apart.

But now, as Kagome and Shippo looked to the north, Kagome felt more confident than she had in a long time. She knew where Inuyasha was, and she had a direction on how to find him. 

Her feet hit the earth; her arms pumped with vigor. She wanted—no, she _needed_ —to find Inuyasha.

And now? For the first time, Kagome felt as though she was on her way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Kagome knows that The Soul Queen has Inuyasha, and she's on her way north! But...what kind of transportation would she need to get through the snowy lands of Hokkaido, I wonder... 🤔🤔🤔
> 
> As always, thank you so very much for reading, and I will see you all at the next update!


	4. The Ookami Prince and His Angry Mate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome and Shippo save an injured wolf, and later, are in grave danger. A surprising person helps them out, and Kagome learns more about how to free Inuyasha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and doing well.
> 
> Welcome to the next chapter of Sakura Tree...we just keep celebrating our darling [Alannada](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alannada)! In this chapter, we're going to meet some more old friends (to us, anyway), and Kagome is going to learn how she can set Inuyasha free. I hope that you enjoy!

Kagome and Shippo made relatively quick time on their journey north; Shippo was sometimes able to carry Kagome, and other times, they walked quickly and tried to stop as little as possible. Kagome felt the urgency of her mission more fiercely than ever. Now that she had a lead—now that she knew _where_ Inuyasha was, and _who_ had him, she felt a deep desperation in her soul. The time to save Inuyasha was short, and she knew that if she didn’t get to him soon, he...well, there might not be anything left of him that she could save.

Shippo, to his credit, understood what possessed Kagome. Having lost his father to the Soul Queen, he didn’t want that to happen to anyone else, especially not to someone that Kagome loved, so much. So when Kagome asked if they could walk a little bit further one night, or if they could skip a town, Shippo agreed. Kagome _needed_ to press on; she _needed_ to find her Inuyasha. 

A few days after they had left Sango and Miroku in Nagoya, Kagome and Shippo were walking north along a less-traveled path. The earth was rocky, and not as well-kept as some of the other roads. Shippo commented that they might be going in the wrong direction, but Kagome had been keeping the sun to their right in the morning, and to their left in the afternoon, and she was sure that they were still heading north. However, it was definitely a less-frequented road, and Kagome resolved to keep her wits about her as they walked.

Suddenly, a whimper, followed by what sounded like a frustrated snarl, from off to their right drew Kagome’s attention. “Stay here,” she said to Shippo, and took off towards the woods that lined the path.

“Kagome!” Shippo exclaimed, running after her, “you don’t know what’s in those woods. It’s better to keep to the path.”

“Someone is hurt, Shippo,” Kagome replied, now crossing the boundary between the road and the woods. “And we have to help them.”

“We really don’t,” Shippo muttered. “Whoever it is could _eat_ us.” 

“Or _help_ us,” Kagome gently countered. “Like it could be….”

Kagome stopped, her eyes wide. Shippo squeaked and scurried up her body to cover himself in her hair on her shoulder. 

“A wolf.”

It _was_ a wolf: a huge, black, angry wolf. His brilliant blue eyes were tinged red, and he was wrestling with his right paw. He rubbed it on the ground, tried to grasp at it with his left paw, but to no avail. He threw his head back and howled, a loud, mournful howl, one that went right through Kagome’s very soul.

“Oh, Shippo,” Kagome said softly, “he’s hurt.” She took several steps towards the wolf, but when the wolf snarled at her and flashed his fangs, she paused.

“Please, Kagome,” Shippo begged. “Please can we just leave?”

“Shhh,” Kagome hushed him. She looked the wolf over; there were tears in his eyes, and his eyes were tinged red not from anger, but rather, from the pain and the hurt. As her eyes traveled over his body, she saw the culprit, the source of the wolf’s pain: 

A fang, or a claw, or something, was sticking out of the wolf’s right paw. His paw was tinged purple and green at the site, and Kagome cringed. 

“The poor thing, Shippo,” Kagome said. “Look at what’s in his paw.” She took Shippo off her shoulder and placed him gently on the ground. She then slipped her bag from where it was slung over her back and set it on the ground beside him. “There’s some salve in my bag. Can you get it out for me, please?” She turned her gray eyes back to the wolf. “I’m going to try and help him.”

“Kagome, don’t be crazy!” Shippo exclaimed. “He’ll eat you!”

“Not if he can tell that I’m here to help,” Kagome told him simply. “Get the salve out and bring it to me when I tell you, okay?”

“O—okay.” Shippo looked skeptical, but opened the bag and started to rifle through it.

Kagome, meanwhile, took a deep breath, and slowly walked towards the wolf. His brilliant blue eyes focused right to her as soon as he saw her approaching, and he instantly growled at her. Saliva dripped from his very large, very sharp fangs, and he snapped his jaws at her menacingly.

“Hey,” Kagome said softly, “it’s okay. I’m not here to hurt you. I—I want to help.” She took one step at a time, her hands raised to show that she wasn’t a danger to him. “It’s okay,” she repeated calmly, even as she continued to move towards him; she took deep, slow breaths, trying to quell the fear that did rest in her own heart. She pushed it aside; it was more important for her to seem calm, and at ease, so that she could help him. For Kagome recognized that the discoloration around the wolf’s palm was poison, and if she didn’t act quickly, the poison could spread and he could die.

The wolf seemed to read her calm countenance; he settled back on his haunches, still fumbling with his right paw, but now watching her with interest. “I won’t hurt you,” she murmured, “but I do want to help.” As she drew closer, the wolf snarled, and Kagome’s breath hitched, but she forced herself to stay calm. “It’s okay,” she told him again, dropping to her knees in front of him. “Let me see your paw.” He growled and jerked it away, but Kagome just smiled gently and held out her hand. “Please,” she said, “you’re poisoned, and I want to help, okay? Please.”

The wolf paused, then held out his paw; Kagome took it gently in her hand and turned it over. She hissed when she saw it up close; it _was_ a fang— _a spider’s fang_ , she thought—

“This will hurt,” she told him. “I’m really sorry, but I have to get this out, and I think...just try to hold still.”

The wolf yipped once, softly, as though he understood, and he allowed Kagome to hold his paw more tightly. 

Kagome’s fingers traced the fang piercing the wolf’s skin lightly, then gripped it hard in her hand. “On the count of three,” she told the wolf. “One, two... _three_!” And she yanked, the fang coming loose in her hand, the wolf howling in pain and cradling his injured paw in his hand, which was bleeding onto the forest floor.

Kagome turned the fang over; there was a hole in the point, where the venom must have eaten through the tooth, as well. She shivered and set it on the ground. She turned back to the wolf and held out her hand again, a kind smile on her face.

“You did so well,” she said soothingly, “you really did. Now, can I see? I want to treat the wound if I can. Please?”

Her plaintive tone must have moved the wolf, because he growled again, but allowed her to take his paw into her hands for closer inspection. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief; the poison already appeared to be fading, but she was worried about the depth of the puncture.

“Here, Kagome,” Shippo said, handing her the salve. The wolf snarled softly at Shippo, who squeaked and ran to hide behind a tree.

“It’s okay,” Kagome said kindly to the wolf. “Shippo’s my friend. He bought me something to help you feel better.” She set his paw down for a moment, then opened the salve and dabbed a little on her fingers. She held out her hand again, and the wolf gave her his paw. 

“This...might also sting a little,” she warned him, “but I promise that it will help.” The wolf barked in reply, and Kagome could have sworn that he was gritting his teeth. She gently rubbed the salve onto the wound, and the wolf howled— _it must really hurt, poor thing_ , Kagome thought—and tried to pull his paw away, but Kagome held on. “I know,” she added, “I know, but please, _please_ let me help. The pain will fade, I promise.”

He growled, but settled down and let Kagome work the salve into his skin, hissing only occasionally when the pain became too much. The whole time, Kagome talked to him quietly, telling him what a good job he was doing, and how brave he was, and how proud she was of him. When she was done, she gave the rest of his leg a little extra massage, and then he held out his other paw for her to do the same.

“I guess they have to be even, huh?” she giggled, and quickly massaged his other paw and leg. She then tore off the bottom of her kimono and wrapped the length around his injured paw. “Keep this on until the bleeding stops,” she told him, and Kagome thought that he nodded. The wolf took his paw out of her grip, then bowed to her, so low his nose touched the ground. Kagome bowed back, just as low, and when the wolf rose, so did she. She could have sworn that he grinned at her before he took off into the woods. Kagome watched him go, smiling after him. 

“You did a great job with him, Kagome,” Shippo said, coming up beside her. Kagome picked him up and snuggled him close. 

“Thanks, Shippo,” she replied, still watching the direction of the woods where the wolf had gone. She wondered who he was; he had seemed so...regal, almost...in the way that he bowed to her. Kagome shook her head and looked down at Shippo.

“Come on,” she said, turning back towards the path, “let’s get back on the road so we can hurry north and find the Soul Queen’s castle.”

* * *

Lunch that afternoon was a quiet affair. Kagome had some bread, and cheese, and Shippo had managed to catch some fish in a creek that wasn’t frozen over. Kagome built a fire, and Shippo speared the fish, and together they sat, keeping warm, watching this fish cook. 

After they ate, Shippo crawled into Kagome’s lap, and went to sleep. Normally Kagome would have put out the fire and kept going, carrying him while he was sleeping, but today? She felt a little tired, and a little drowsy herself, and decided that resting a bit before they continued on might be a good idea. She stared into the fire, daydreaming of Inuyasha, and how she used to brush his hair in the firelight at her grandmother’s house. Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes as she remembered the last time she saw him: how they kissed, and he said that he would see her in the morning, only he never did. She felt more determined than ever to find him, and bring him home. Even if she had to face off against the Soul Queen. 

Even if she had to kill her.  
Even if she died herself.  
Because...if Inuyasha was free...then it would all be worth it.

Suddenly, the air became thick with a buzzing, rustling sound. It was all around them, and Kagome scrambled to her feet. Shippo opened his eyes and sleepily said, “Kagome? What’s wrong?” But then his eyes also burst open and he clambered up onto Kagome’s shoulder.

“Kagome,” he breathed, and she could feel him shivering. She put a hand up to comfort him, stroking his fur gently. “Wolves, Kagome,” he whispered, clearly terrified. “It’s _wolves_.”

Kagome gulped, but tried to maintain her calm exterior. She didn’t know why wolves would be after _her_ ; hadn’t she just helped one? Maybe they were coming to thank her? Or maybe…

Then, so fast Kagome had barely blinked, they were surrounded. By wolves. By angry, snarling, drooling wolves. Wolves that looked like they wanted to eat Shippo. To eat _her_.

“I...I think,” she said to the wolves, trying to keep her cool, “that there’s been some kind of misunderstanding? I don’t quite know what I’ve done here.”

“What you’ve _done_ , human,” said an icy, female voice from somewhere nearby, “is kill my mate.”

Kagome’s eyes searched the crowd of wolves feverishly. Where...who...where was the person who said that?

The wolves parted, and into the circle stepped a woman. Kagome saw immediately that her ears were pointed, revealing that the woman was an ookami. She looked to be a little older than Kagome, but Kagome also knew that youkai had extended lives, so her actual age was difficult to discern. She wore her red hair in two pigtails, her bangs framing her beautiful, fierce face. Her eyes were flashing, a dark green, much angrier than Shippo’s bright emerald ones. Her furs were a beautiful creamy color, and her armor was red and black. In her hair Kagome saw an iris; it was of course not the season for irises, but it looked healthy and full, and Kagome instantly knew it had to be enchanted.

“I—I’m sorry,” Kagome said hesitantly. “But...did you just say that _I_ killed your mate?”

The female ookami laughed: high, and cackling. “Yes, _you_ , human,” she spat. “My mate, the Lord of the East and the prince of the ookami, has been missing for three days. We tracked his scent to the woods a few kilometers from here, where we found his blood, along with a spider fang, and the scent of a human and a kitsune... _you_.” She stalked up to Kagome and Shippo and got into Kagome’s face; Kagome tried not to flinch. “I don’t know how you did it, human,” the woman hissed, “but you stabbed him with the spider fang, and you killed him, and you disposed of his body.” The woman grabbed Kagome and pulled her close. “However you did it? It doesn’t matter. But we ookami are hungry, human, and I have to say…” She bared her teeth; Kagome saw them glistening with saliva.

“You look delicious.”

The wolves around them started to howl, and thump their tails, and yelp with glee.

“Kagome?...” whimpered Shippo.

Kagome didn’t say a word. The female ookami’s teeth were huge, and she was angry, and it was definitely looking bad for them. 

“Are you sure that your mate is dead, oba-san?” Kagome asked.

The female ookami laughed, hard. “You should know, human,” she retorted, her spittle flying out of her mouth and spraying Kagome. “You are the one who killed him. And you’re going to pay.” The ookami spun Kagome around to show her to the rest of the wolves. “We have found my mate’s killer!” the woman shouted. “And now, she will pay!”

“Ayame,” said another deep, gruff voice, “just what in the hell do you think that you’re doing?”

The female ookami—Ayame, Kagome realized—let go of Kagome and shoved her aside. She looked out into the crowd of wolves. “Kōga?” she called. “Kōga, is it you?”

The wolves parted again, and this time, it was a man who entered the circle. He was tall, and olive-skinned. His long dark hair was tied up in a ponytail, and he wore a furred headband. His furs were a dark brown, and his armor silver. He wore a gleaming sword on his hip. 

But most importantly, Kagome saw, were his eyes—a brilliant, blazing blue—and the wrap around his right hand. The fabric matched the bottom of her kimono. Kagome’s eyes grew wide and the man approached her, Shippo, and Ayame.

“Ayame,” the man said, putting his arms around her and kissing her richly, “I’m sorry that I worried you.”

“Where were you?” Ayame cried, pushing him away in her anger. “You left three days ago on a hunt and didn’t come back. We tracked you to the forest, and found your blood. Kōga,” she added, “ _what happened_?”

“I was hunting a spider youkai in the forest not far from here, in my wolf form,” he told her. “I fought him, and killed him, but not before he bit me. The fang became lodged in my paw, and the poison spread through me. I tried to get back to you, but I couldn’t make it very far. I collapsed in the woods down the road from here. This young lady here—” he gestured to Kagome “—helped me. She removed the fang and treated my wound with a balm. She took a piece of her own kimono to wrap it for me. Ayame,” he added, “she didn’t kill me. She saved my life.” He turned to Kagome, and took her hands in his. “What’s your name, miss?” he asked her.

“Higurashi Kagome,” she replied, not fully believing that their lives were not still in danger.

“Higurashi Kagome,” he answered her, “My name is Kōga, the youkai Lord of the East and prince of the ookami tribe. And you saved my life, without any fear, without any concern for your own life. I could have torn you limb from limb if I wanted to, and you knew this, and yet, you continued to help me.”

“I had to,” Kagome said earnestly. “The poison would have spread through your body, and you would have died.”

“Hold on,” Ayame said, grabbing Kōga’s hands from Kagome. “Kōga,” she added, “are you telling me that this _human_ saved your life?”

“She did,” Kōga replied. “She did, and now...I owe her a life debt.” 

The gasps from the wolves, and from Ayame, made Kagome snap to attention. Whatever Kōga had just said...this “life debt” thing...it sounded serious. Even Shippo’s eyes grew wide when Kōga said this. 

“You can’t be serious, Kōga,” said Ayame. “You can’t owe a human a life debt.”

“She saved me, Ayame,” Kōga shot back, “and as such, I am now indebted to her. So are you, actually, as my mate, and so is the rest of the tribe, as they are under my rule. We all owe Kagome a debt for what she did for me.”

Ayame looked from Kōga, to Kagome, and back to her mate. “I can’t believe this,” she muttered, “but if it’s true…”

“It is,” Kōga assured her.

“Then…” Ayame dropped to one knee in front of Kagome, and bowed her head. The rest of the wolves also fell forward into deep bows. “We honor you, Higurashi Kagome, and we promise to honor your life, as you have honored the life of our leader, Kōga.” Kagome bowed in return, and Shippo also bobbed his head.

“Now, Kagome,” said Kōga, as Ayame got to her feet, “what do you say to a warm bed, and a fire, and some hot food? We would be honored to have you join us for a feast.”

“Yes,” said Ayame, squeezing Kagome’s hand now, as though they were best friends. “Why don’t you come join us? Or den is not far from here.”

Kagome and Shippo looked at each other, and Kagome looked back out at the road. It was already getting late, and she felt a tremendous urge to continue on their way north. But something inside her was pushing her, telling her to stay where she was. That the wolves might be helpful, somehow.

And a warm bed, and hot food, for free? A good night’s sleep? 

“That would be lovely,” said Kagome, bowing again. “Thank you for thinking of me; Shippo and I accept.”

“Excellent!” said Kōga in his booming voice. He turned to the wolves who were with them. “Go back to the den and tell Ginta and Hakkaku to prepare the feast,” he ordered them. “Please tell them that Ayame and I will be along in a bit, with our honored guests.”

The wolves barked twice, then took off into the woods. Kōga slipped an arm around Ayame’s shoulders, and smiled at Kagome.

“Come,” he said, “let us go, and you can tell us all about who you are, and why you’re out here, in a desolate part of the country, with only a kitsune for protection.”

* * *

The wolves’ den was about a two-hour walk from the place where Kagome and Shippo had almost gotten eaten. Along the way, Kagome briefly filled them in on her situation: she was in love with the hanyou Inuyasha, who had disappeared from his home one night several weeks before. She had recently learned that he’d been taken by the Soul Queen, and that she needed to get to the Queen’s castle in Hokkaido, but that it would be dangerous to continue along on foot. Kagome saw Kōga and Ayame glancing at each other continuously as she told them her story, but she tried to pay it no mind. After all, perhaps her story was more interesting than she thought!

The den was hidden behind a waterfall, which, even though it was winter, still flowed as though it were the rainy season. Kagome was impressed; she knew that it was some kind of magic at work there, like with Kao’s garden, and she couldn’t help but feel a little twinge of guilt at remembering her former captor.

Kōga and Ayame led Kagome and Shippo through the entrance, which, to Kagome’s surprise, was quickly flooded with wolves and ookami, all clamoring to see their leader, all hoping to be regaled with tales of his prowess in battle. But when Kōga explained the situation, and how Kagome had rescued him, the wolves all dropped down in low bows, acknowledging Kagome’s status as their leader’s rescuer. Kagome bowed back, and gave a warm smile to Ginta and Hakkaku, Kōga’s second-in-commands, who paused in their efforts to offer Kagome a smile back before they rushed back off with their preparations. 

“Let’s go sit in the main den,” Kōga said, taking Ayame’s hand and leading her through the tunnels. Kagome and Shippo followed, Shippo perched on Kagome’s shoulder, looking around at all the wolves. Kagome could feel him trembling, and kept one hand on his back the entire time, making sure that he felt safe and secure. Kagome was convinced that nothing would happen to them there, but still...she understood Shippo’s trepidation.

Kōga led them to sit a safe distance away from a roaring bonfire, which licked the roof of the cave. Kagome looked up at it in wonder, but Kōga assured her that the flames would not harm the ceiling, and that they would be quite safe, and snug, and warm, away from the harsh elements outside. “Ginta!” bellowed Kōga, tucking Ayame into his side and patting the earth floor beside him so Kagome and Shippo could sit, “is it time for the feast to begin?”

Ginta came into the main den. “Kōga,” he said in a raspy voice, “yes. We will gather the wolves and begin to bring out the dishes. Oi!” he shouted, turning away from them. “All you filthy fuckers get out here now! The feast is about to begin! Get your asses out here if you want some food!” He disappeared back down a corridor, and soon the wolves began to file into the room, sitting on the haunches around the fire, howling, barking, and yipping, their tails thumping the soft floor. 

“Now, now,” Kōga said, holding up his hand to the anxious wolves, “your feast is coming, friends.” And as if on cue, Ginta, Hakkaku, and a host of ookami, human form and wolf form, came pouring into the main part of the den, carrying all kinds of smoked meats, roasted root vegetables, and sake. The smells wafted through the air, curling into Kagome’s nose, and she gasped aloud in delight.

“Has it been awhile since you’ve had a good meal, Kagome-chan?” Ayame asked her (they were by now quite friendly).

“We try to eat one good meal a day,” Kagome told her, “but my pockets are getting light of coin, and we’ve been trying to save our money for places to stay. We’ve been catching fish, or what we can, on the road.”

“Then I’m glad you’re here,” Ayame told her. “And that we could provide you with a tasty, filling meal before you set out back on your way.”

Kagome smiled, and looked up at the ookami who was handing her a plate. He was handsome, with bright brown eyes and long hair that he wore in a low ponytail. “Thank you,” she said demurely, nodding her head politely. He grinned in return, and raised one eyebrow as he took in her form.

“Tch,” snorted Kōga. “Don’t get any ideas, Daichi. Kagome is promised to another.”

The look on Daichi’s face was so heartbroken that Kagome reached out and touched his arm comfortingly. “I’m sorry, Daichi-san,” she said softly. “My heart has belonged to someone else for almost as long as I can remember.”

“I—I see,” Daichi replied. “But, perhaps, though, you might do me the honor of a dance later?”

Kagome smiled. “Of course,” she said, “I’d like that, very much.”

Daichi smiled back, then went back to his servant duties.

“Careful, Kagome,” Kōga teased her, “I don’t want to have to break up fights among my wolves because you’re too pretty for your own good.”

“Kōga!” she exclaimed, and when he laughed, she relaxed and laughed too.

The feast was massive, with plate after plate after plate of food coming out from the depths of the den. The sake was flowing fast, and furious, and Kagome’d had two glasses before Kōga gently cut her off. 

Not long after dinner came the dancing. Several ookami brought out instruments and spent a few minutes tuning them and making sure they all knew their parts. Then, with a nod from Kōga, the band broke out into song, and immediately many of the ookami there were on their feet and starting to move their bodies, crying and howling and yelping as they went.

The music was loud, and fast, and Ayame tugged Kōga up to join the rest of the dancers. Kagome’s belly was full, and Shippo was already asleep in her lap, so she was content to watch them, lazily, as Kōga spun Ayame around on the earthen floor, kicking up clouds of dust as they moved. The beat was loud, and the wolves stamped their feet in time to it. The music thumped faster, and faster, and faster, the sound mirroring the pounding of her own heart.

Sure enough, Daichi came back to ask her for a dance, and as promised, she granted it to him, leaving Shippo asleep on some furs and covering him up gently. She took Diachi’s hand and allowed him to swirl her across the floor; he taught her some of the signature dance moves of the ookami tribe, and before long, Kagome was shouting, laughing, and slapping her thighs and her arms with the rest of them. 

All the while, her thoughts did not stray far from Inuyasha; even though he wasn’t there, and he couldn’t enjoy the festivities, she knew that he would be proud of her for putting the needs of the ookami before her own. Even though Inuyasha had never been a fan of wolves, she suspected that this time, when it mattered most, he would approve of the steps she had taken. 

She just couldn’t wait to find him and tell him all about her adventures. 

Kagome danced with the ookami a few more rounds, then begged on account of Shippo (who was still dozing and who she felt guilty leaving alone) to be done. Daichi reluctantly agreed; Kagome remembered to bow and headed back to Shippo’s side. She cuddled the little kitsune in her lap, watching Kōga, Ayame, and the others continue their frenzied dance: shouting, stomping, whirling. Despite the noise, the heat of the fire, and the constant beating of the drums, the den made for a cozy scene, and Kagome found herself almost hypnotized by it all. She settled back into the furs where she was sitting, the kitsune asleep in her arms, and Kagome stared into the fire, images of Inuyasha—the feeling of his arms around her, of his lips on hers—ghosted her mind.

Kagome did not notice when she, too, fell asleep.

* * *

She awoke still nestled amongst a pile of furs, but in a much smaller room. Shippo lay beside her, tucked under her arm, his body warm and his breathing soft. It took Kagome a minute to figure out where she was, and what was happening, but she quickly recovered: wolves, food, sake, dancing, music. She blinked, yawned, and stretched, sitting up and looking around.

“Morning.” It was Ayame, and Kagome jumped for a moment before smiling at her new friend.

“Morning, Ayame-chan,” Kagome said.

“I trust you slept well?” she asked, holding out her hand. 

Kagome accepted and allowed Ayame to help her to her feet. “I slept wonderfully, thank you,” she replied, still stretching her limbs one at a time. A warm smell tickled her nose. “Is that—?”

“Breakfast, yeah,” Ayame said. 

“Breakfast?” repeated Shippo, opening his big green eyes as well. Kagome leaned over and scooped him up, snuggling him as he came back to wakefulness.

“Breakfast,” Kagome said. “Ayame-chan has breakfast for us!”

“This way,” Ayame said, and Kagome eagerly followed her out of what Kagome realized was a small cave within the network of larger ones. “That was my personal room,” Ayame added. “My place is with Kōga, yes, but a girl needs personal space, too.”

Kagome wasn’t sure about that. She was pretty sure that, if she were married to Inuyasha, she wouldn’t want to be apart from him, ever.

Ayame led them back to the great cavern where the feast and the party had been the night before. The bonfire was still smoldering, and Kōga was sitting there, with Ginta and Hakkaku, in deep conversation, a platter of meats and vegetables beside them. 

“Ayame!” he said happily when his mate approached them. “And I see that Kagome is awake, as well.”

“She slept all night, anata,” Ayame said, dropping a kiss on his forehead and sitting between him and Ginta. Kagome took a seat to Kōga’s right, and he pushed the tray of food towards her and Shippo.

“Here,” he said to her, “please. Have some breakfast.”

Kagome bowed her head in thanks, and she and Shippo eagerly dug into the meal. They ate in silence as Kōga, Ayame, Ginta, and Hakkaku talked about various things: winter hunting, their battle with the Birds of Paradise, who Kagome gathered were very nasty, ugly bird/men that were terrorizing the countryside nearby, and…

“Kagome,” Kōga said at last, turning his brilliant blue eyes on her. She nearly choked on a piece of meat, and accepted the flagon of water that Ayame offered her.

“Me?” she squeaked. “What would you ever want with me?”

“Last night,” Kōga continued, “you said you are wanting to venture north, to save your true love?”

Kagome nodded. “Yes,” she said, “to the Soul Queen’s castle.”

Ayame gasped. “Kagome,” she said, “you can’t go there! It’s too dangerous. What if she steals your soul?”

“She has Inuyasha, Ayame-chan,” Kagome replied. “If she had Kōga, wouldn’t you move heaven and hell to get to him?”

Ayame was silent for a moment, but her eyes burned a brilliant dark green. She nodded, once, looking at Kōga with all the love in her heart. “Yes,” she agreed. “Yes, I would.”

“Then you understand,” Kagome said, “why I have to go.”

“We do,” Kōga replied before Ayame could. “But, Kagome...we don’t want you to go alone.”

“I won’t be alone!” she exclaimed.

“Yeah,” Shippo piped up, “she has me!”

Ayame smiled gently. “You’re such a brave boy, Shippo,” she said softly, “and you’ve been a big help to Kagome thus far. But I think that...it’s best for you to stay here, with me, while Kagome finishes her mission. It’s not safe for him much further north, Kagome-chan,” she added to Kagome. “He can stay here, until you find your Inuyasha, and then you can come back for him. I promise that I will look out for him and take care of him as though he were my own.”

“But, but…” Kagome was confused.

“Kagome,” said Kōga, “we have discussed it, and decided that I will be the one to take you to the Soul Queen’s castle.”

“You, Kōga-kun?” said Kagome, using an affectionate term for him without realizing.

Kōga and Ayame smiled at each other. “Yes,” he said. “Me.”

“But your duties here,” Kagome replied, “you can’t possibly…”

“I owe you a life debt, Kagome,” he interrupted gently. “And Ayame and I think this is the best way for me to repay it.”

“You brought my mate back to me, Kagome-chan,” added Ayame. “And now, I want to help you find your mate.”

Kagome coughed. “My—mate?” she repeated blankly.

“Your Inuyasha is a hanyou, correct?” Ayame asked. Kagome nodded. “Then,” Ayame continued, “in youkai terms, he is your mate.”

“And your mate is in even more danger,” Kōga interjected, “the longer we stand around and wait.”

A wave of resolve suddenly hit Kagome. She hugged Shippo tightly. “You’re right, Kōga-kun,” she said. “How long until we can leave?”

“Kagome!” cried Shippo. “You’re not thinking of leaving me, are you?”

“As soon as you’re ready,” Kōga said, “we can go.”

Kagome nodded, then turned back to Shippo. “Ayame-chan is right, Shippo-chan,” she said, and his eyes lit up at her affectionate name for him. “It’s going to be dangerous, I think, and I want you to be safe. Ayame-chan will take good care of you, and keep you safe until Inuyasha and I can come for you.”

“But about you?” he demanded. “Who will keep you safe?” His eyes shot to Kōga. “Not that dumb wolf.”

Kōga hissed slightly, but Kagome soothed Shippo. “Kōga-kun will take good care of me,” she said softly. “And while he’s gone, you have to take good care of Ayame-chan for him, okay?” 

Shippo looked between Kagome, Kōga, and Ayame, and at last nodded. “Okay,” he said. “But you better come back for me!”

Kagome hugged him tightly. “Oh, Shippo-chan,” she cried softly, “I plan to come back for you, and to bring you home with us, to stay, if you want.”

Shippo’s eyes grew huge, and Kagome saw the tears threatening to fall. “I—I want that more than anything, Kagome,” he breathed. “So yeah, I’ll stay with Ayame, and behave, and take care of her.”

“Thank you, Shippo-chan,” Kagome whispered, and he kissed her cheek, then scampered out of her arms and into Ayame’s.

“I’ll take good care of him, Kagome-chan,” said Ayame.

“I know,” Kagome smiled. She turned to Kōga. “I’m ready when you are,” she said.

“First, Kagome-chan,” said Ayame, starting to rise, Shippo still in her arms, “we need to outfit you.”

“Outfit me?” Kagome was confused.

“It’ll be cold where we’re going,” Kōga said, also getting to his feet and holding out a hand to help Kagome to rise. “Ayame will fit you with furs to keep you warm. When you’re ready, meet me at the entrance to the den, okay?” He paused. “We leave as soon as you’re ready.”

Kagome took his hand and he gently pulled her to her feet. She turned to Ayame. “I’m ready,” she said. “Please, whatever you think is best. I suddenly feel like...we need to hurry.”

* * *

A flash of black and silver fur darted across the countryside, faster than anyone could see. Kōga and Kagome practically flew; they had a lot of ground to cover, and Kagome’s instincts were screaming at her that time was short. Kōga detected her concerns, and pushed himself to cover the distance to Hokkaido even more so than usual. But he was the ookami prince, the youkai Lord of the East, and among the fastest youkai who lived. In no time at all, they were making the push into the Soul Queen’s lands, where the air was harsh and cold and the snow was swirling about: a mad blizzard.

Eventually, the wind and snow became so bad that Kōga was forced to slow to a walk, the weather too treacherous for even his full wolf form. Kagome buried her face in his warm fur, allowing him to use his instincts to guide them. She knew that she was safe, and that he would find the best way forward. He owed her a life debt, but more importantly, he was also her friend, and she trusted him.

A sudden halt brought Kagome’s head up out of the scruff around his neck. Kōga knelt down, and Kagome slipped off his back. She watched, fascinated, as his body morphed back into its human form. His blue eyes were brilliant and shining among the snowflakes.

“There’s a hut not too far from here!” he shouted into the wind. Kagome nodded, and he held her close as they moved through the wind and snow, Kōga with one arm up to help block it. 

They walked on for what Kagome felt like was a good while (but was really perhaps no more than a few minutes), when she saw that, indeed, a hut was coming into view. As they approached, Kōga said in her ear, “Perhaps you ought to do the knocking?” and Kagome nodded, understanding immediately his point: youkai may or may not be welcome.

“If they won’t admit you,” Kagome shouted over the wind, “I won’t go in either.”

“Tch, don’t be silly,” he scoffed. “I’m an ookami. I can handle this weather. You? You’re a puny human, and will do better inside a warm hut.”

“But—“ Kagome protested.

“No buts,” Kōga replied, and pushed her to the bamboo mat in the doorframe. 

Kagome took a deep breath, and knocked solidly, three times. A mat moved slightly, and an elderly woman poked her face out. 

“What?” she said. “A girl? Here? In the middle of a blizzard?”

“With my ookami friend,” Kagome said. “We seek shelter and help.”

“Pfft,” the old woman scorned. “If you’re traveling with an ookami, you have no need for an old woman’s help.” And she started to close the mat.

“Please!” Kagome cried. “We come seeking the location of the Soul Queen’s castle. Please!”

The old woman stopped and looked hard at Kagome. “The Soul Queen, eh?” she commented. “You seek Kikyo?”

Kagome had no idea that the Soul Queen’s real name was Kikyo, but she nodded anyway. The old woman sighed.

“Come in,” she said, and opened the mat all the way. “Your ookami friend, then, too.”

Kagome and Kōga entered the hut, the bamboo doormat clattered shut after them. The elderly woman tied it down, to keep the wind out, then settled herself at the irori, a kettle hanging on the hook over the fire. 

“I’ll have some tea ready soon,” she said. “Please, make yourselves comfortable.” 

Kagome and Kōga sat by the fire, Kagome leaning forward eagerly to catch the heat with her hands. She took in the old woman’s countenance now more closely that they were settled. The woman was old—very old, and her dark eyes hugged slightly out of her face. She wore a braided cord about her head of reds and blues and purples. Her kimono was purple, and she wore a blue shawl. Her face was weathered, and maybe, Kagome thought, a little bit sad. 

“Now,” said the woman, taking a pipe from her robes and lighting it in the fire, “suppose you tell me who you are, and why you seek Kikyo.”

Kōga and Kagome looked at each other, and Kōga gave her an encouraging nod. Kagome began her story:

“My name is Higurashi Kagome, and this is Kōga, the…”

“The youkai Lord of the East, and ookami prince,” the old woman interrupted, surprised. She peered at Kōga closely, who snarled softly at her and flashed his fangs. “My dear girl, what on earth are you doing, traveling with such a strong youkai?”

“I owe her a life debt,” Kōga growled, “but that is none of your business.”

“Kōga-kun has been kind enough to offer to carry me to the Soul Queen’s castle,” Kagome explained before things escalated. “She has taken my love, the hanyou Inuyasha, and I’m going to the castle to get him back.”

The old woman stared at her for a long moment, then began to laugh so hard she choked on her tobacco and coughed.

“My dear girl,” the old woman said, “you cannot possibly go to Kikyo’s castle and get your beloved hanyou back. She will surely take your soul, just as surely as she has taken his.”

“I don’t care,” said Kagome hotly, tears forming in her eyes. “I will do whatever I have to in order to free Inuyasha from her grasp.”

The old woman paused, and looked Kagome up and down carefully. She rose, and toddled over to a counter that rested against the side of the hut. “Tea?” she asked them, and when they nodded, she put caddies in each of three mugs and brought them over to the irori. She took the kettle from its hook, knelt down, and carefully poured out the tea. She then set the kettle aside and handed Kagome and Kōga each a cup. They nodded their thanks, and the woman settled back into her place, her tea beside her, her pipe in her mouth.

“If you are truly desirous to do this,” the old woman said…

“And I am,” said Kagome fiercely.

The woman sighed. “Then I will tell you what I know.” She puffed for a moment on her pipe, then began to tell Kagome and Kōga her story:

“My name,” she said, “is Urasue, and I am a miko who dabbled at times in witchcraft. I say ‘dabbled,’ past tense, and you will see why in a moment. I desired the power of a great miko who had died 50 years ago. Her name was Kikyo, and she possessed great spiritual power that I hope to use in order to recover the Shikon no Tama for myself.”

Kagome gasped, and Kōga growled. “Ain’t nothin’ but trouble and pain where that jewel is concerned, obaba,” he grunted.

“I see that now, my Lord,” she replied. “But at the time, I was greedy, and I wanted its power, under the pretense of ‘protecting the world’ from it. I thought that I could use Kikyo’s spiritual energy to help me find the pieces and restore the jewel. So I...stole her ashes from her grave, and used dark magic to rebuild her body out of clay. I infused her soul with those of young women who had passed, and brought her back to life...or so I thought.” Urasue hung her head. “I should have known better. I should have realized that she would not be really alive in a body of clay, and this would not have the same moral compass.”

“What do you mean, Urasue-san?” Kagome asked.

“I mean, child,” replied Urasue, “that when Kikyo awoke, she was...not quite human. And without a sense of right and wrong. She...wanted to collect the Shikon no kakera, but for her own purposes, ones that didn’t include me. Shortly after she was reborn, she summoned shinidamachu to come and bear her away.”

“And what does she do now?” Kōga asked.

“She searches the country for pieces of the jewel,” Urasue said. “When she finds them, she takes the jewel, and the person’s soul along with it.”

“Right,” said Kagome. “This happened to my friend Ayumi, and to my friend Shippo’s father. But Inuyasha didn’t have a shard of the jewel, so why would the Soul Queen want him?”

“Are you so sure, Kagome-san?” Urasue asked her. “Did you know all of your beloved’s secrets?”

“What do you mean?” Kagome asked, surprised.

“Only that first, the Soul Queen usually only pursues those who possess Shikon no kakera,” Urasue said. Kagome gasped, but Urasue continued. “And second, the Soul Queen would be after someone exactly like your beloved. A hanyou—both man and youkai—someone she can control, and someone who will not be damaged should she insert jewel shards into his body.”

“I have heard that youkai can take the Shikon no kakera into their bodies without being affected physically,” Kōga said thoughtfully. “It is also known to enhance their power. It’s why so many youkai—and humans—have sought it out.”

“Then why haven’t _you_ , my Lord?” asked Urasue.

“Tch,” Kōga retorted, “I’m strong enough. I don’t need the jewel.”

“Then you are smarter than most youkai and men,” Urasue replied. “One would think that the Lord of the East would seek to increase his power by seeking the jewel.”

“Like I said, obaba,” Kōga answered, “the jewel only brings destruction. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I have no desire for its power.”

“So how can I find Inuyasha?” Kagome asked Urasue. “And if he _is_ affected by the jewel, how do I free him? Do you know?”

“Kikyo has built herself an ice castle in the northernmost reaches of Hokkaido,” Urasue told them. “It is not far, but the winds and the ice and the snow will deter you.”

“Not me,” said Kōga proudly. “And Kagome will be safe with me, too. I can get her there.”

“Once you are there,” Urasue said, “you will need to find your beloved. But beware, Kagome-san: only a person pure of heart, who truly loves Inuyasha, will be able to free him, if he is indeed under Kikyo’s control and if he does indeed have Shikon no kakera in his body.”

“I am sure I can do it,” Kagome said. “I have loved Inuyasha since I was a little girl, and I will continue to love him for the rest of my life.”

“If you say that you love him, child,” said Urasue, “then by all means, go after him. Love him, heal him, set him free. Restore his soul.” She paused; Kagome and Kōga waited for her to continue, Kagome’s breath even halted with anticipation, desire, and fear. 

“You must go,” Urasue added, “Because...you may be the only one who can do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Kagome and Kōga be able to find the Soul Queen's castle? And what will they do once they get there? I can promise you that every step Kagome takes is a step closer to her beloved hanyou, so I would bet that we'll be seeing him _very_ soon. As always, thanks everyone, so much, for reading!


	5. In the Castle of the Soul Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome and Kōga arrive the Soul Queen's castle, where Kagome enters alone. Will she find Inuyasha there? Will she be able to save him?
> 
> Featuring commissioned artwork by [nartista](https://nartista-digital.tumblr.com/)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and doing well.
> 
> This is it, everyone! The big chapter! Kagome has finally made it to the Soul Queen's castle. Will she find Inuyasha, and be able to save him?

The days at the castle were long, and cold, and dark. But Kikyo was used to it. She liked the cold; she liked the dark; she liked her ice castle that she had constructed there, in the northern mountains of Hokkaido. It was far from prying eyes, both human and youkai, and it was the only place in the whole country where she felt fully safe.

And now, she had company, in one hanyou whose soul she possessed, whose heart she had frozen, whose eyes she had blinded from seeing any but her. He was quiet, and gruff, and did whatever she asked him to do. His presence was...comforting to her; she didn’t feel quite so alone.

Because for months now, Kikyo had been alone. She’d been born of earth and clay, and the ashes of her former live body. The dark miko Urasue had brought her back, and when she opened her eyes, she was possessed by two, desperate, focused desires: to possess the Shikon no Tama, and to die once again. Urasue had revived Kikyo to collect the Shikon no kakera, but for Kikyo, the desire to possess the jewel was purely a selfish one. She wanted the jewel, not to give to Urasue, but to use it herself. To be released from this hell on earth. To return to the earth, to become ash again.

But this wish was a selfish one; it was a wish that only benefited her. And only an unselfish wish would be granted; only an unselfish wish could set her free from these unwanted bonds. 

Inuyasha was a comfort to her, but that’s all that he was; that was all that he could be.

A comfort, and a vessel, holding the last jewel shards for her until such time that she discovered the unselfish wish that would set her free.

Kikyo sat on her icy throne, and sighed. “Inuyasha,” she called, and the hanyou, who had been moving pieces of ice from one side of the main room of the palace to another, wandered over to her. 

“Yes, Kikyo,” he intoned, his voice monotone and listless. Kikyo tried not to let it affect her, but if she’d had a heart, she would have felt remorse.

Kikyo rose, and stroked his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch, and she knew that he was starved for affection, that somewhere, deep down inside, he missed the woman she’d taken him from...the _Kagome_ who he loved.

“I am going out to search again for the last jewel shard,” she told him. “My shinidamachu have told me that it is located not far from here, in a village called Nagano. I will go look, and will return as quickly as I can.” She thought for a moment. “While I am gone,” she added, “will you build me a table of ice? You have brought so many nice blocks from outside,” she added, “and I could use a table to match my chair.”

Inuyasha bowed, his beautiful silver hair flowing forth over his shoulders. “As you wish, Kikyo,” he said. “I would do anything for you.”

Kikyo sighed. “If only that were true,” she murmured, and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. Despite the cold, he was warm, and she wanted more than anything to stay by his side and allow him to be the comfort that she needed.

But...she couldn’t. She needed to be free...she needed to return to that from whence she had come. 

And to do that...she needed the last jewel shard. And time to think.

“I’ll be back, my darling Inu,” she murmured, and caressed his cheek one last time with her lips. She turned, and left the palace, not looking back at Inuyasha, who had already started to work on making Kikyo’s table. She could not look back at him; she would not. Because if she did, she would be tempted to stay, and staying was the last thing that she needed to do.

As Kikyo left the palace grounds, she was unaware that there were two watching her go: a human, and a youkai, who were biding their time and plotting the best way to break into her castle, and set Inuyasha free.

* * *

Kagome and Kōga had made excellent time to the north, and found Kikyo’s castle with relative ease. It was nearly directly due north from Urasue’s hut, and one day of hard travel brought them to the edges of Kikyo’s territory. Kōga knew they were close because the spiritual energy surrounding the area increased tenfold, and he could feel it crackling against his youki. He transformed back to his human form, in order to keep his youki more stable.

“Can’t control it as easily as a wolf,” he told Kagome, “and a sudden surge of reiki could cause it to go into overdrive, or could purify me more rapidly. Let’s look lively; I’m sure we’re close.”

Sure enough, another hour’s worth of travel brought them to a large, icy gate, shining like wrought iron against the ethereal lights of the north. Kagome reached out and touched the gate, and hissed when her fingers burned. 

“Cold burns just as much as heat, Kagome,” Kōga admonished her gently. “Let’s figure out our next steps.”

They peered through the gate, trying to discern what lay beyond. Kagome could just make out a tall, imposing tenshu; it looked to be at least five stories tall, and had a number of yagura on each level. “Kōga-kun,” she breathed.

“I know,” he replied softly, reverently. “It’s huge, and _ice_.”

“Should we just go through the gate, or…?” Kagome started to take a step towards the entryway, but Kōga immediately tugged her back.

“Come on,” he hissed, and pulled her behind some bushes. 

“What?” she asked, but he pressed his fingers to her lips and glared at her hard. Kagome nodded, and together they watched as the Soul Queen herself emerged through the gate, not five meters from where they had been standing a few seconds before. Kagome breathed a silent sigh of relief for Kōga’s youkai sensibilities. They watched as the Queen’s shinidamachu came down, surrounded her, and bore her away into the sky. Kagome and Kōga waited until they were sure she was gone, and made their way to the gate. Kagome looked through the opening, at the castle, then turned back to Kōga.

“Kōga-kun,” she said, “I think I need to do this alone.”

Kōga nodded. “You have to do what you think is right,” he told her. “Do you want me to stay?”

Kagome shook her head. “Thank you,” she replied, “but no. I’ll be all right. If Inuyasha is in there…”

“If he’s lost his soul,” Kōga said, “you could be in danger. And I am sworn to protect you until I have repaid my debt.”

Kagome took his hands. “Kōga-kun,” she said, “you’ve repaid your debt, by bringing me here. I hereby relieve you, and thank you, for your help. Go back to Ayame, and look after Shippo for me, okay?”

Kōga pulled her into a warm hug. “I will,” he swore. “I will protect your kit; I promise.”

Kagome hugged him back. “That’s more than enough,” she said, pulling away. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Be careful,” he said.

“I will,” she replied.

Kagome gave him a final wave, and walked up to the gate’s opening. She looked up at the icy entrance; beyond this gate, she knew, was Inuyasha. And he was a prisoner, and it was up to her to save him. Kōga watched her go, and said a quick prayer that the gods would protect Kagome and help her save Inuyasha.

Kagome made her way along the path towards the castle, which was growing bigger all the time. The snow was deep, and blew all around her, and her feet were quickly growing more and more soaked. But Kagome pressed on, through the wind and the snow and the ice, because with every step, she could feel him getting closer.

She could feel Inuyasha.

At long last, Kagome stood at the castle door, which was a solid sheet of ice, intricately engraved with curling snowflakes, flowers, and leaves. She looked up at the door, and pressed her hand against it. To her surprise, the door creaked open, and with a few steps, Kagome was inside.

The castle’s great hall was massive; there was an icy throne at one end of the hall, and blocks of ice in front of it. Kagome took a few steps forward. “Inuyasha?” she called out, her voice echoing in the distance. “Are you there?”

“Inuyasha?”

A grunt, a groan drew her attention to the far right corner of the hall. She turned, and nearly wept and collapsed with relief.

He was _here_. He was alive. 

_Inuyasha_.

He was lugging a block of ice across the castle floor, the ice making a screeching sound on the frozen floor and leaving an icy trail in its wake. He looked...well. His silver hair flowed about him; his ears were laid flat against his skull as he struggled to haul the ice over to what could only be described as a throne. His robe of the fire-rat was still intact, but the hem of his red hakama were torn and frayed, perhaps from being dragged over the ice. 

But his face...and...his eyes.

His face was hard, and set, and emotionless, so far from the warm and loving glances he would cast her way. And his eyes? They were a dull amber, unfocused, glazed over, as though they saw nothing, as though he felt...nothing. 

Kagome felt a wave of panic ripple through her body. She felt her soul cry out; before she knew what she was doing, she was rushing towards him, calling his name.

“Inuyasha!” she cried. “Oh, _Inuyasha_!”

He looked up at her, but his face was blank; he did not know who she was. 

Kagome saw the lack of recognition in his face; she saw that his eyes did not light up with their typical joy at her appearance. But she did not care. She ran to him, and when she reached him, she flung her arms around his neck and she kissed him, deeply, passionately, pouring all of her love for him into the kiss.

She expected his arms to come up around her; she expected his body to respond. She expected his lips to press into hers, just as passionately as hers did into his.

But there was nothing.

Nothing. It was like she was kissing a wooden board: cold, hard, flat, unyielding.

“Inuyasha,” she cried, “Inuyasha, it’s _me_! It’s Kagome!” And she tried again to kiss him, but again, he did not respond.

Kagome felt her heart breaking. Had the Soul Queen taken his soul? Had she gotten there too late? Would she not be able to save him after all? What was left of Inuyasha? What was left of _her?_

And Kagome sank into his chest and sobbed. After all that she had done...after all that she had been through...she realized, in that moment, that she’d been so focused on the _idea_ of saving him, that she didn’t actually know _how_ to save him. She had thought that, even if his soul was gone, he would still know her, and that magically, everything would be okay. Clearly, though, that was not the case: Inuyasha was _gone_ , a shell of who he had been, and, most likely from the second the Soul Queen had taken him, Kagome realized, she had been too late.

She wept for him, for her, for _them_ ; she wept for his mother; she wept for her grandmother; she wept for the life they could have had together, the life that was rapidly becoming a fantasy for her, and no longer a definitive reality. 

Kagome cried, and her tears dripped down her face, and onto the robe of the fire-rat, right over Inuyasha’s heart. Right _into_ Inuyasha’s heart. 

Loosening the jewel shard that Kikyo had placed there, drawing it out: out of his heart, out of his body, and falling to icy ground with a tiny _ping_.

His arms went around her, and she felt his nose burrowing into her hair.

“Kagome?” he cried faintly. “Oh, Kagome? Is it you? Are you here? For me?”

“Yes, Inuyasha,” she sobbed, “it’s me. It’s me.”

“Kagome,” he said desperately, his hands roaming over her face, her shoulders, her arms, “I can’t...I can’t see you. Please, _please_ , Kagome, tell me...is it you?”

Kagome’s heart was twisting from his plaintive cries and the confusion and fear in his voice. “Yes, Inuyasha,” she said, “it’s me. It’s me.” Her mind raced, with relief that he knew her, and with fear that, while he knew her, he still _couldn’t see her_.

His hands clutched her face; the pads of his fingers ran over her cheeks. She saw his eyes, still blank, still unseeing, and she felt sick to her stomach.

How could she get through to him? How could she offer him reassurance, love? What had brought him comfort in the past? What would remind him of her, of them, of _home_?

She had an idea. 

“Do you remember,” she said, “when we first met? How we sat together under the sakura trees, and I used to read to you?”

“Kagome,” he cried brokenly, clutching at her frantically, “Kagome.”

And Kagome took a chance; she began to sing:

_sakura sakura_ _  
_ _noyama mo sato mo_ _  
_ _mi-watasu kagiri_ _  
_ _kasumi ka kumo ka_ _  
_ _asahi ni niou_  
_sakura sakura_ _  
_ hana zakari

At Kagome’s gentle voice, singing a song that reminded him of their past, their present, and their future, Inuyasha began to cry. His tears were hot, and fierce, and coursed down his cheeks and into Kagome’s hair. Kagome felt his tears, and began to weep in earnest too; the two of them sank to the floor of the icy palace, weeping and clutching at each other in desperation and joy.

And the Shikon no kakera that Kikyo had placed into Inuyasha’s eye swam out, and followed the path of his tears, coming to a rest in Kagome’s hair. She felt him caress her hair, and pluck something out of it, then he crushed her to him again, holding her as though he could never—and would never—let her go.

“Kagome,” Inuyasha said finally, “Kagome.” A clawed hand tucked under her chin and gently tilted her face up. “It’s—it’s you, _my_ Kagome. Oh, _fuck_ ,” he swore, “ _I can see you again_!” 

“Inuyasha,” she sobbed, “you’re _you_ again!”

“Fuck yeah,” he said, “I’m me. Thanks to you.” And he slanted his lips over hers. “Thank the gods you came for me,” he whispered. “I was dying here without you.”

“I would never have stopped looking for you,” she whispered back. “I would have searched for the rest of my life if I had to in order to find you and bring you home.”

“Thank the fucking gods you didn’t have to look that long,” he breathed. “I couldn’t have made it without you the rest of your life.” And he pressed his lips to hers. 

[ ](https://nartista-digital.tumblr.com/post/642217357600866304/a-kiss-to-remember-under-the-sakura-tree-by)

Commissioned Artwork by [nartista](https://nartista-digital.tumblr.com/)

* * *

The kiss was hot, and searing, and tore through Kagome right to her very soul. She grasped at him, clutching at his shoulders, his arms, his neck; she needed him, _all of him_ , in a way that she had never needed him before. Because he was here, and alive, and whole, and when he probed at her lips with his tongue, she eagerly granted him access, allowing him to sweep her up, and hold her close, her hands now working inside his robes, searching for the heat of his chest, the warmth of his skin. She was seeking that out, looking for validation, for his flesh against hers, his life...her life…

She had found him. He was _here_. And she was overjoyed.

When Inuyasha broke the kiss, Kagome whined and clambered after his lips for more. He chuckled. “It’s chilly here, ‘Gome, isn’t it?” he teased her lightly. “You really wanna stay here a second longer than we have to?”

He was right; she had to admit that he was right. “O—okay,” she said, pouting a little. He pulled them both to their feet. “Here,” he said, handing her a small shard, “This one was in my eye. Hold onto it for me, okay?”

Kagome nodded, and he dropped back down and inspected the floor. He plucked another shard from the ice floor, and handed that one to her, as well. 

“These are two Shikon no kakera,” he said to her. “They go...hold on.” He took her hand, and brought her over to the pedestal that stood next to the icy throne. On that pedestal, floating a few centimeters above the surface, was the Shikon no tama, and it was nearly complete. Inuyasha reached out, and took it from the pedestal.The jewel glowed a brilliant lilac, a glow that reflected back in Inuyasha and Kagome’s faces. 

“Go ahead, ‘Gome,” he said, “add the shards to the jewel.”

Kagome did as he directed; she held the shards out and pressed them into the jewel itself; the jewel grew warm under her touch as the shards melded with the jewel itself. When she removed her hand, they could see only a tiny sliver of a crack remaining, where…

“The last shard,” Inuyasha said in a breathless voice. “Kikyo...the Soul Queen...she went to find the last shard. She apparently had a lead on it.”

“What do we do, Inuyasha?” asked Kagome, looking at the jewel in his palm. “Do we leave it, or do we take it? If we take it, she’ll come after us, for sure.”

“If we leave it, we leave the jewel in her hands, and I don’t feel comfortable doing that,” Inuyasha replied. “I say...I say we take it, and try to find that last jewel shard ourselves.”

“You don’t need to do that,” said an icy cool voice, “the last shard is here, in my hands.”

Inuyasha and Kagome looked up, and there, standing in the entrance to the main hall of the castle, was Kikyo, the Soul Queen. Kagome gaped at her; she couldn’t help it. The Soul Queen was tall; her skin was milky white and luminous; her dark eyes and long eyelashes stood out against the paleness of her face. She was dressed in traditional miko garb, right down to her tabi and geta, and she was surrounded by her shinidamachu, who swirled about her, protecting her from harm.

Inuyasha growled, and stepped in front of Kagome. He cracked his claws and flashed them at her angrily. “You’re back, Soul Queen,” he said. “And I’m awake now, and you don’t control me anymore. You know what that means, right?”

The Soul Queen laughed quietly. “It means that you’re free, Inuyasha,” she replied. “You’re free to leave, and free to go on with your life. And you must be Kagome,” she added, talking to Kagome, even as she remained behind Inuyasha’s back. “It’s very nice to meet you. I know how much Inuyasha loves you.”

Inuyasha’s growls became louder, and more insistent. “Don’t you fucking dare even _look at her_ , Kikyo!” he snapped. He turned one luminous golden eye to Kagome, keeping her carefully behind him. “And yeah, you know just how fucking much I love her.”

“So much that you had to freeze his heart and his eyes to keep him from recognizing me!” Kagome shouted. “So much so that I traveled over half the country to get to him, to set him free!”

“Which you have done,” commented the Soul Queen. “Which you have done.” She paused, and took several steps closer to the couple. Inuyasha snarled, and flashed his claws with one hand, the other hand keeping tight to the Shikon no Tama. “We’re taking this with us, Kikyo,” he snapped. “You can’t stop us.”

“I can’t,” Kikyo agreed, “nor do I have any desire to.” She paused in her steps, and looked them over carefully. Her eyes grew wide as she took them in.

“Kagome,” she said, “you are...you love Inuyasha, don’t you?”

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha; he turned his head slightly and offered her a small smile. She smiled softly back. “You know that I do, Soul Queen,” she said steadfastly. “I love him with all of my heart.”

“And your love for Inuyasha is pure?” Kikyo asked.

“It is,” Kagome answered immediately. 

Kikyo sighed; with sadness, with relief, Kagome couldn’t quite tell. “Then tell me this, Kagome,” she said. “If we were to make the jewel whole, and you could make any wish, what would that wish be?”

Kagome started; Inuyasha slipped an arm around her shoulders and held her fast. “What do you mean?” she asked Kikyo.

“I mean,” said Kikyo, “if you were to make the jewel whole, you would be able to make a wish. If I gave you this shard in my possession—” and here she held out the jewel shard to Kagome “—and you made the jewel whole, it would owe you a wish. What would that wish be?”

“Kagome,” said Inuyasha warningly, but Kagome looked thoughtful.

“I guess that,” she said after a moment, “I guess that I don’t really have a wish?” She looked at Inuyasha, and reached up and caressed his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. “I mean, I had a wish,” she added softly, “but it came true.”

“Kagome,” Inuyasha whispered, and nuzzled the palm of her hand.

“So I guess, Soul Queen,” Kagome said, “I have everything I could ever want. Inuyasha, what would you wish for?”

“I—I have everything I could ever want too,” he said, looking at Kagome with all the love in his heart.

“So how about you, then, Soul Queen—no, Kikyo-sama?” Kagome asked. “If you could have anything in this world, what would you want?”

Kagome saw how the Soul Queen nearly collapsed on the spot. “Kagome,” she whispered, “I would wish to be free.”

“Free?” Kagome asked.

“Yes,” the Soul Queen replied. “Free. Free from these unearthly bonds. Free from a life that was never mine to begin with. I was brought back to life, you know,” she began.

“Yes,” Kagome said, “by the dark miko Urasue.”

“How did you know?” the Soul Queen asked, surprised. 

“I met her on my way here,” Kagome said. “I’m...sorry...for the way that you came back into the world.”

“So then you know why I want nothing more than to return to the earth from which I came,” the Soul Queen replied gently.

“Yes,” Kagome said. “And...if you will allow me to repair the jewel, I will...make that wish for you, Kikyo-sama.”

“And if you do make that wish, Kagome,” Kikyo said, her voice quavering, “the Shikon no Tama will have granted an unselfish wish. It will be satisfied, and will disappear from this earth. And no more will men and youkai hunt it down, and no more will it be the cause of so much strife on this earth. It will go, and you...like me...you will have peace again.” 

She took a deep breath, and Inuyasha and Kagome were shocked to see that the Soul Queen was crying: real tears, tears of joy, of hope, and of relief. Kagome held out her hand to Inuyasha; he handed her the jewel. She then stepped forward to the Soul Queen, who offered her the last jewel shard. Kagome looked at the Soul Queen—at Kikyo, hard, her gray eyes full of love, pity, determination, compassion. Kikyo’s own eyes were dark, but dripping with tears that Kikyo had not known she could cry. 

Kagome accepted the jewel shard from Kikyo, and placed her hand over the Shikon no Tama. It began to glow, and again Kagome felt her hand grow warm as the shard merged with the jewel.

Once it was fully merged, the jewel vibrated in Kagome’s hand, and shot up into the air. The three of them watched as it spun, and brilliant white and lilac light poured from from the jewel, spilling out into the room. Its light eventually settled on Kagome, and she knew: this was her moment, her chance to make her wish, and so she did. Inuyasha’s arm went back around her shoulder, holding her close. She could feel the love and support he gave her in the way that he offered her a gentle squeeze; she drew from his strength as she spoke.

“Shikon no Tama,” she said, “I wish for you to set Kikyo-sama free. Please release her from her unearthly bounds; please allow her to find the freedom that she so desperately seeks.”

The jewel spun around again, and whirled over their heads; it came to a rest above Kikyo, shining all of its light upon her. Kikyo looked up into the light; her shinidamachu fading around her. Kikyo reached up, towards the jewel, then looked back out at Inuyasha and Kagome.

“Kagome,” she said, and Kagome noticed that the light was filling Kikyo’s body, causing it to become filtered and hazy, “thank you. Thank you for helping me find freedom, and peace, once again…” The light filled Kikyo’s form, and slowly, slowly, she began to fade away, until all that was left was a filtered light, dancing against the icy walls and floor. And as her presence faded, so too did the darkness in the castle; there was light, and it was shining, as though Kikyo herself were casting down a happy glow from the heavens. The jewel itself was gone, turned to starlight, the unselfish wish finally granted. 

Kagome dropped her gaze and returned it to Inuyasha, who, she noticed, was also very still, staring at the place where Kikyo had once stood in awe. Kagome giggled a little and closed his jaw; he blinked and glanced down at her.

“Is it over, then, Inuyasha?” she asked him.

Inuyasha turned, and pulled her to him. “It’s over, yeah, I think so,” he breathed, and pressed his lips to hers in a final, hungry kiss that acknowledged the distance that had separated them, and the joy of being reunited. Kagome moaned a little at the heat of the kiss, and Inuyasha chuckled.

“Come on, ‘Gome,” he said, turning around. “Hop on. It’s time for us to get the fuck out of here and head home.”

Kagome eagerly climbed onto his back and kissed his cheek. “I’m so ready to take you home, too,” she said. “But first? We have a few places to stop along the way.”

“Places?” Inuyasha asked, taking off out of the palace at a run. “What kind of places? What the fuck’ve you been up to, woman?”

Kagome giggled and snuggled in close. “You’ll see,” she said mysteriously. “Just…follow my directions, okay?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song "Sakura, Sakura" is a traditional Japanese folk song. It signals the arrival of spring, which felt appropriate in this moment, as Kagome tries to waked Inuyasha from his spell. The song approximately translates as thus:
> 
> Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,  
> In fields, mountains and villages  
> As far as the eye can see.  
> Is it mist, or clouds?  
> Fragrant in the rising sun.  
> Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,  
> Flowers in full bloom.
> 
> And a few notes on the architecture of Kikyo's castle:
> 
> Kikyo's castle is modeled on a tenshu, which is often the main part of a castle structure. It's usually the highest tower, set on a rock foundation. They have multiple levels and tiled eaves. This tenshu has several yagura, or turrets. [Matsumoto Castle](https://theworldtravelguy.com/matsumoto-castle-nagano-japan-day-trip-from-tokyo/) in Nagano is a little larger than what I envisioned, but still a good model. (But of course, Kikyo's is made of ice and snow!)
> 
> Our couple is finally reunited! What could be left for them? (If you've seen the tags, you know 😏) Just one chapter left, and I suspect there will be plenty of fluff and love coming our way. As always everyone, stay safe and thank you so very much for reading!


	6. Under the Sakura Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome return home, where they are eagerly welcomed by Izayoi and Kaede. Inuyasha has an important question for Kagome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and doing well.
> 
> Here is the last chapter of Under the Sakura Tree! With this chapter, the birthday train for the amazing [Alannada](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alannada) finally comes to an end. Alannada, I hope you like this one!
> 
> A special thanks to [NeutronStarChild](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeutronStarChild) for motivating me to finish this chapter!
> 
> CW: This chapter contains sexual content.

Inuyasha and Kagome ran, swifter than the wind, through the driving snow, beyond the reaches of the Soul Queen’s territory. They ran over hills, and down through valleys; they ran past villages and towns. They ran, and ran, and ran, until Kagome gently directed Inuyasha towards a certain den behind a waterfall, where they were greeted most enthusiastically by a little kitsune, who had missed Kagome very much.

Inuyasha was none-too-thrilled with the entire Kagome-made-friends-with-wolves thing, but seeing how kind Ayame and Kōga were to her, and how kind they were to the little kitsune who seemed to have adopted her as his mom, he was hard-pressed to do anything other than grimace and thank them for looking out for her when he couldn’t. 

But the kitsune…  
_He_ was being _far_ too affectionate with Kagome for Inuyasha’s liking.  
Even if he was just a kit.

Inuyasha had been apart from Kagome for too long—had been without her touch, without her kisses, for too long—and he couldn’t help but feel a desperate jealousy at the way Shippo nuzzled her, because the familiarity reminded him that, while he’d been gone, Kagome had had a life, one that didn’t include him. And Inuyasha’s emotions at that were still too raw for him to be anything other than sour. 

“Kagome,” Inuyasha said, trying desperately to keep the heat out of his voice, “where the _fuck_ did you pick up a stray kitsune?”

“My name’s Shippo, you dumb dog!” snapped Shippo. “And I helped Kagome find you!”

“He’s right, Inuyasha,” added Kagome, now snuggling Shippo and causing Inuyasha to growl. “I found Shippo wandering and alone outside of Nagoya. He helped me find you; he has been as good a friend as Kōga and Ayame.”

“Then he can stay here with wolves,” Inuyasha muttered. “I ain’t in for taking care of kitsune runts.”

Kagome balanced Shippo in one hand and reached out to softly rub Inuyasha’s ears with her other hand. He immediately began to purr and leaned into her touch. 

“Please, Inuyasha?” she asked softly. “Shippo helped me and took care of me.” When Inuyasha snorted, Kagome gave his ear a gentle tweak, and he relented.

“Fine,” he scoffed, feeling all the heat of the moment finally melt away with her tender touches. “But the runt stays with you until...until…” And then he pulled away from her fingers and went to stand at the entrance to the den. “Ya comin’?” he called.

Kagome smiled softly, and turned to Kōga and Ayame, hugging them both goodbye. “Thank you for looking after Shippo, and me,” she said quietly. 

“Just invite us to the wedding, Kagome-chan,” Ayame replied, hugging her friend tightly. Kōga placed a warm hand on Kagome’s shoulder and squeezed it. 

“I will,” Kagome replied, breaking the hug and looking at her friends again. 

“Don’t worry, Kagome,” Kōga said, his arm now around Ayame, “we’ll see you soon.”

“I hope so,” she replied, and walked over to Inuyasha. She hopped on his back, adjusted her kimono, and waved. Inuyasha turned to face Kōga and Ayame.

“I’m not much for thanks,” he said gruffly, “but I appreciate what you did for Kagome…” His ears laid back on his head and he growled softly.

“And for me,” he added.

Kōga stepped forward and now clapped his hand on Inuyasha’s shoulder, his eyes shifting from Kagome to the hanyou. “Your beloved is a special girl,” Kōga told him. “She saved me when I was in my full wolf form. Pulled a poisoned spider fang from my paw. Not a lot of humans would have done that.”

“ _No_ human would do that,” Inuyasha agreed, “except for Kagome.” 

She blushed. “It wasn’t anything, Kōga-kun,” she murmured. 

“You saved my life, Kagome,” Kōga said seriously. “And I may have repaid the life debt, but Ayame and I will never forget what you’ve done for us. We hope to see you again.”

He let go of Inuyasha’s shoulder, and Inuyasha dipped his head briefly before the ookami prince. “Thanks again,” he said, “And take care of yourself, wolf. No more poking your long snout in places where there are spiders, got it?” 

Kōga laughed as Inuyasha took off through the waterfall, and back in the direction of home. Kagome took one last look behind at her friends; she saw that Kōga and Ayame had followed them out, and were waving. She gave one last wave in farewell, then turned to hug Inuyasha tightly. Her face buried itself in the crook of his shoulder, protected from the wind by his long hair. Shippo clung to Inuyasha’s other shoulder, and the three of them raced onward, towards home, towards their new life, their new future...together.

* * *

Kagome and Inuyasha’s reunion with their family was heartfelt and enthusiastic. Since Kagome had left in search of Inuyasha, Izayoi had stayed close by Kaede’s side; the elderly woman was beside herself with worry over the fate of her granddaughter, especially when Kagome didn’t return after a day, two days, a week. And when the weeks turned into a month, both Izayoi and Kaede had feared the worst: that Kagome, that Inuyasha, that both of them were dead, and would never return.

So imagine Izayoi and Kaede’s surprise the afternoon that the door to Kaede’s home opened, and in strode Inuyasha, with Kagome on his back, and a...kitsune child?...on his shoulder. The women had been sitting by the irori, sewing, and when the door slid open, Izayoi had jumped to her feet, her hand on Kaede’s shoulder, both women looking anxiously at the door. Inuyasha came in, and dropped Kagome, who immediately ran to her grandmother and threw her arms around Kaede, sobbing. Kaede, for her part, looked incredulously at Kagome at first, as though she were seeing a ghost, but when she felt Kagome’s warmth, and her tears, she realized it was, indeed, her beloved granddaughter, and the two of them hugged and hugged and cried. While Kagome and Kaede cried, Inuyasha approached his mother (Shippo still on his shoulder), bowed his head, and said, “I’m sorry that I worried you, okaa-san.”

Izayoi took Inuyasha by the chin, and tilted his face up; when his golden eyes met her warm brown ones, he let out a choked sob and his mother drew him to her, holding him closely, allowing him to cry freely. She saw Shippo on his shoulder, and embraced Shippo in her motherly hug, too. 

And thus their little family was reunited, with one new addition, and Inuyasha and Kagome were so incredibly happy to be home. 

There was just one more thing that needed to change…

That night, after Kagome had tucked Shippo into her own futon, and Izayoi had gone home, and Kaede had gone to bed, Inuyasha and Kagome sat before the irori, staring at the fire. As they always had before, Inuyasha sat at Kagome’s feet, but this time, instead of brushing his hair, Kagome played with his ears, rubbing them affectionately, Inuyasha purring and leaning into her touch. 

It was...right. It was peaceful, and quiet, and calm.

The life that Kagome had always wanted. A life...with Inuyasha.

“Kagome,” he said suddenly, and she dropped his ears as he turned to face her. His golden eyes gleamed in the firelight; his handsome face was open, honest, and earnest. He took her hands in his, and rested them in her lap. She smiled down at him. 

“Yes, Inuyasha?” she asked, her face shining, her body tingling with anticipation. 

“I...I love you,” he said, his voice laden with determination. “I have loved you, I think, since the first time I saw you. Since the day that my mother and I moved in next door. Since the day that you invited me to sit with you under the sakura trees, and you began to read to me. And over the years? As you let me into your life, I couldn’t help but let you into my heart. And now...now you _are_ my heart, ‘Gome. My _whole_ heart. When I was gone, at the Soul Queen’s castle, I...I don’t remember much about my time there, but I do remember feeling alone, and empty, and bleak. And I didn’t remember you, but I knew that my heart was empty, where once it had been full.”

“Inuyasha,” she whispered.

“Please, Kagome,” he said. “Please, let me finish.”

She didn’t say anything, but nodded that he should continue.

“The first thing I remember—really, truly remember—is your voice, calling me. Your arms, around me. Your lips, on mine. The sound, the scent, of your tears. And _fuck,”_ he cursed, squeezing her hands tightly, “I never want to be reason that you cry again.”

The pain and the plaintive whine in his tone caused Kagome’s heart to stutter. She gently loosened one of her hands from his and brought it up to caress his creek. His chest rumbled as he turned to nuzzle her hand sweetly.

“You came for me,” he said in a choked voice. “You came for me, when no one else could. And you found me, you freed me, you freed Kikyo.” He tilted his face up to hers, and she repaid him with a gentle kiss. “You’re the most amazing woman, Kagome,” he added in a whisper. “And, if you’ll have me, I promise to be the most amazing husband to you. Because that’s what you deserve.”

Kagome’s eyes filled with tears; her heart swelled and nearly burst with the love she held for Inuyasha. “I love you more than anything or anyone in this world,” she cried passionately. “I would have moved entire mountains if it meant getting to you. I told you in the castle, and I will tell you again: you are my everything, and I _need you_ with me, by my side—my love.” She paused.

“My Inuyasha.”

Their kiss then was not soft, nor gentle; it was electric, two souls crashing together in a resounding chorus of truth, of joy, of true love. Because Inuyasha and Kagome _were_ truly, deeply, in love, and after that they had been through, they both knew:

No one would ever be able to tear them apart again.

“Say you’ll marry me, Kagome,” Inuyasha whispered against her lips. “Say you’ll be my wife.”

Tearfully, joyfully, Kagome nodded. 

“Yes, Inuyasha,” she breathed. “There is nothing that I want more in this world than to be your wife.”

He drew a small box from his robes and opened it: resting on a cushion was a gold ring, with a single pearl in a simple setting, and Kagome’s tears fell faster at the sight of its simplistic beauty. She held out her left hand, and he slipped the ring on her fourth finger. She looked at it, then back down at him, all the love in her heart spilling out through her eyes, her tears, her lips. Her fingers sought his cheeks, and drew him up to her, so they could seal their engagement with a sweet, tender, passionate kiss.

* * *

They were married that spring under the sakura trees in the yard.

It was a beautiful, simple ceremony; Kagome wore a hikifurisode, instead of a more traditional shiromuku. Her grandmother had at first protested, but Kagome gently pointed out that they weren’t rich; the shiromuku and uchikake would have cost money, and it made much more sense for her to wear something that she could wear again. Kaede and Izayoi had fought her, but at last relented, allowing Kagome to select a stunning black hikifurisode lined in red silk and covered in pink and white sakura blossoms and white cranes. Her obi was red and gold brocade, and she carried a bouquet of pipon mamu and Banda orchids. Her hair was pulled up into an elaborate updo and adorned with more orchids. When Inuyasha first saw her, he nearly turned and ran away; she was so beautiful, he almost thought that he didn’t deserve her. Only Shippo’s firm grip on his adopted father’s shoulder kept Inuyasha in place, his little claws digging in deep enough to nearly draw blood.

For his part, Inuyasha wore his traditional robe of the fire-rat. Izayoi and Kaede had wanted him to wear the kuromontsuki, but Kagome had insisted that he look as much like himself as possible. And while Inuyasha would have done anything for Kagome, he was secretly pleased. He hated wearing anything other than the only gift he had from his father, and by him being just himself, it meant all the focus of the day was on his bride.

Which was as it should be.

The faces of her friends and family as she and Inuyasha were married was something Kagome would never forget. When they decided on a traditional ceremony, they agreed to keep it small, but Inuyasha had said she could invite whoever she wanted. And when he heard who she wanted to ask, he’d growled, but set off at top speed to deliver the tidings and the invitations. And, indeed, they had come: Miroku and Sango, Kōga and Ayame, and even Ami and Ryu, Kao-sama’s former servants, who had cared for Kagome while she was captive. Miroku had the honor of performing the ceremony, along with the local Shinto priest, and it really was a perfect affair, from the san san ku do to the blessing of the sakura branch, which Kagome had insisted on, instead of something more traditional.

When Inuyasha and Kagome promised to love each other and be true to each other, the wedding guests could see the love shining in their eyes. And when they kissed, it was long, and chaste, but no less passionate, so much so that Shippo groaned and covered his eyes.

Then the celebrations and the party could begin, which they did with fervor. But throughout the festivities, Inuyasha and Kagome kept seeking each other out in the crowd, offering little smiles if they were far, and little touches and caresses if they were near. Because? Like every newlywed couple, Inuyasha and Kagome were anxious to get to the wedding night, to the tender exploration of the other’s sex. And as much as they enjoyed the company of their family and friends, and as much as they enjoyed the food and the drink that circulated among the tables, ultimately, they just really wanted to be alone, with each other. 

And soon, they would be.

* * *

The stars of the evening and the moon’s warm glow dropped a soft, twinkling light upon the two houses divided by a line of sakura trees. Kagome stood by the door, looking outside into the night, to the place where, just a few months ago, Kikyo had come and had taken Inuyasha away. Kagome always felt a bit of a shiver when she gazed into the yard from the doorway; she couldn’t help but remember the sheer panic, and terror, she had felt the next morning, and the insurmountable relief she had also felt the day that she’d found him, awakened him, and kissed him.

The day that she had brought him home.  
They'd barely been apart since.

Inuyasha still kept to his routine of patrolling the perimeter of the village for protection, but now, every morning, Kagome, and sometimes Shippo, went with him: Kagome on his back, and Shippo on his shoulder. At first, Inuyasha had been adamant that they _not_ be allowed to accompany him, but Kagome had begged, and cajoled, and cried, and Inuyasha realized her fears. He’d hugged her fiercely, put her on his back, and taken off; the subject of her staying behind was never brought up again. 

Because even though he was back by her side, Kagome couldn’t help but feel the twinges of fear every now and then. If he went to get firewood, and was gone one minute longer than usual; if he left to return home, and she didn’t see a candle burning in his window.

If he was late to breakfast.

Kagome always feared that he would disappear again, that the moment she’d found him hadn’t been real: that it was, in fact, only a dream. That finding him had only been a dream.

The nightmares were bad too. Kagome alone, in the dark and the cold, calling for him: desperate, needy, hopeless. The nights where Shippo was unable to soothe her, Inuyasha was there, holding her, comforting her, whispering words of love in her ear, until she was able to quiet down and get back to sleep.

Kagome’s fears and dreams were a big reason the wedding was so soon. Because it had become very clear: they could not live without each other, and Izayoi and Kaede agreed that they would not be the ones to stand in the way of true love. Or of Inuyasha’s intense desire to protect Kagome. Or of Kagome’s intense desire to be by his side.

The living arrangements had been made before the wedding. Izayoi was to move into Kaede’s house, into Kagome’s old room, while Kagome and Shippo were to move into Izayoi and Inuyasha’s home. The families decided that it made sense for the newlyweds to have their own space, and for Shippo to stay with his adopted parents. But Kaede needed someone to look after her, and since Izayoi had done it while Kagome and Inuyasha were gone (and really, had been doing it for many years), it was a natural move that made everyone happy. And while the entire transition would take several days to complete, it was agreed that, after the wedding, Kagome would move into Inuyasha’s house, thereby making it _their_ home. And for the wedding night, Izayoi and Kaede kept little Shippo, who seemed to have entirely too much knowledge on _why_ he had to stay with his obabas, and kept giving Inuyasha winks and nudges the entire afternoon.

But now, in the quiet of the starlight, Kagome sighed and gazed out into the night. And even though she still felt the icy horror of Inuyasha’s disappearance grip her heart, she had to admit: being there, in their house, with him, was starting to ease her worries and her fears, at least just a little.

“Kagome.” Inuyasha’s voice was soft, as was the way that he came up behind her and embraced her. He rested his head on her shoulder and looked out into the night as well. “Are you thinking about…”

“Yeah,” Kagome said quietly, covering his hands around her middle with one of her own. She reached up behind her with the other to scratch one ear affectionately, and Inuyasha’s chest rumbled pleasantly.

“You—you don’t have to think about those days anymore, Wife,” Inuyasha whispered, his nose nuzzling her cheek; Kagome’s body trembled at his use of her new title. “We’re here, together, and nothing is gonna be able to come between us, ever again.”

Kagome whirled around in his embrace and looped her arms about his neck. “Are you sure?” she asked breathlessly. 

He nodded. “I’m so sure,” he promised. “And anyone or anything that tries? I’ll tear their fucking head off.”

“Not if I get to them first,” she murmured, “because, yes. I will _never_ let anyone get in the way of us being together, either.”

Inuyasha tilted her face up towards his and rested his forehead lightly against hers. “I am the luckiest man in the entire world,” he breathed, “to have a woman like you.”

“And I’m the luckiest woman,” she whispered back, “because I have a man like _you_.”

“ _Kagome_ ,” he said huskily, “ _My_ Kagome. _My_ wife. I love you endlessly.”

“My Inuyasha,” she replied, her voice soft and breathy. “ _My_ husband. I love _you_. Endlessly.”

Their kiss was gentle, deep, passionate: full of the years of loving, of longing, of waiting for this moment. The one where they could finally be together. 

The one where they would, at least, get to know each other as man and wife. 

Kagome’s hands tangled up into his hair; she pressed herself into him as his arms wrapped around her waist. They were needy for each other; they _desired_ each other. Kagome moaned softly, and Inuyasha slipped his tongue between her lips, exploring her mouth, their tongues wrestling with an increased passion that continued to mount.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome murmured, breaking the kiss at last. “I—I—”

“Do—do—are you ready, Wife?” he asked her gently, ghosting her lips with his, enjoying the moan that escaped her when he did so.

“I—I am,” she replied softly. “Please—please—let’s—”

Kagome never got to finish the sentence, because Inuyasha swept her up into his arms, looping his arms under her legs. His lips pressed to hers eagerly, and her arms went back around his neck as she met every one of his kisses. Inuyasha turned, and made his way through the washitsu and towards his bedroom—towards _their_ bedroom—their lips still exploring, still seeking each other out. Kagome sighed when his lips pressed against her cheeks, her chin, the hollow of her neck. He entered the bedroom, and set her down on her feet, his arms still wrapped around her, his lips still seeking out hers. 

The feel of Inuyasha around her, of his lips on hers, of his arms around her, was almost too much for Kagome. She had wanted this for so long, and now it was here, and she was _his_. She was Inuyasha’s. And only Inuyasha’s. 

Kagome pulled back, breaking the kiss and his embrace. Her hands played with the collar of her hikifurisode. Her eyes sparkled at him, and he whined at the sight of her hands toying with the hem of her robes. When she reached out, took his hands, and pressed them to her robe, she giggled lightly as his eyes grew wide.

“Inuyasha,” she said softly, shyly, “do you want to undress me?” Her gray eyes dropped modestly, and she allowed him to toy with the edges of her hikifurisode.

“Kagome.” His voice was whining, and needy, and full of lust. “Are you sure?” When she nodded, his fingers played with the hem, then dropped down to her obi. He untied it, pulled it from her waist, and tossed it aside. Her robes fell open slightly, and Inuyasha’s eyes grew wide at the sight of the soft swell of her breasts, heaving gently in her desire. His hands reached up for her, but he couldn’t quite touch her in that way just yet, and instead his hands went to rest on her arms, rubbing them slightly. Kagome sensed his hesitation. 

“Inuyasha,” she said softly, “would like to take this off of me?” His responding whine was quiet, but needy, and she smiled. “Here.” She covered his hands with hers, and pressed them to her breasts; both of them sighed at the feel of him touching her so intimately.

“Fuck, Kagome,” Inuyasha ground out, “ _fuck_. You feel so amazing.”

“Imagine how I would feel without the robes on,” she whispered, and pushed his hands lightly, down and back, taking her hikifurisode with them as they moved. Her robe fell all the way open, then down, off her shoulders, falling with a _whoosh_ , pooling at her feet. She was now in her kosode, and he could see the gentle outline of her womanly body against the light linen fabric. He whined, and her smile grew wider. “Come here,” she said softly, and pulled him to her. Their lips met, and she could feel his hesitation, how unsure he was in how to touch her. Kagome again took his hands, and placed them on her arms, then began to work at the ties of his hakama. His hands squeezed her biceps, and her hands got the ties of his hakama free. When he growled his pleasure, she drove her tongue into his mouth and tugged his hakama down, his robes coming free and flowing down over his muscular thighs. 

Inuyasha paused, broke the kiss, and took a step back, looking at her admiringly. He saw her standing there, against the soft moonlight; the shadow of her womanly form against the fabric of the kosode. The swell of her breasts, the curve of her hips...he had never seen her look so beautiful, so vulnerable, so…

So _his_.

Kagome’s giggle brought him back to the moment. “You’re still a little overdressed, aren’t you?” she asked. “I mean…” she blushed, and he smiled and blushed too. “Do you want to…”

“Fuck, _yes_ ,” he swore, and his hands quickly went to the knot in her kosode, as hers went to the ties on his robe of the fire-rat. Their kisses became quicker, deeper, more insistent, and both of them were now groaning in their need for each other, their fingers making fast work of the knots in their clothing. Inuyasha got her knots undone first, and tugged at her kosode. “Off,” he hissed, and Kagome giggled.

“Yours, too,” she replied huskily, and her fingers finally worked the knots free. 

“Together, Wife,” he breathed, and she nodded, her gray eyes never leaving his. 

“Yes, Husband,” she said softly, “together.”

With a tug and a push, they slowly removed each other’s clothing. Kagome’s kosode pooled around her ankles, on top of her hikurifosode, and Inuyasha’s fire-rat haori and his own kosode fell back, dropping on top of his hakama. They both slowly took in each other’s bodies.

“Kagome,” Inuyasha breathed, “how the _fuck_ did I get so lucky?” His claws traced her jawline, then down her neck, and to her breast bindings. “You’re _so_ beautiful.”

And she was. Her hair had come loose, and was falling about her shoulders in blue-black waves. Her gray eyes shone with all her love for him, and her lips were a full, dusky rose that curled into a tiny smile as she took him in. Her skin glowed a luminescent pearl, and her decolletage flushed a beautiful seashell pink. His eyes trailed over her bindings, down over her hips, and came to a rest at the juncture of her thighs. Kagome swore she saw his nose twitch. 

Kagome, for her part, eagerly devoured her new husband with her eyes. His skin shone a beautiful gold, gleaming in the moonlight, and contrasted beautifully with his shining silver hair. His entire body glowed; he radiated light, and love, all for her. She allowed her eyes to travel down the length of his body; how had she never realized that he seemed to be sculpted of granite, or whatever gods were made out of? His pecs were perfectly defined, as were his abs; Kagome was sure that she could count every single one of his muscles. She longed to run her hands along those muscles, and maybe her tongue, as well. Her eyes finally came to rest on the piece of fabric that hid his greatest treasure from her—his fundoshi. Where underneath that which would bring her so much pleasure and joy was standing at attention. For her.

They moved as though they were being pulled by a taut string that drew them closer and closer together. Kagome’s lips formed a tiny “o”, while Inuyasha let out an appreciative growl, letting his chest rumble with pleasure. His hands went to her arms, his claws running up and down her supple flesh gently; she closed her eyes and keened quietly at the feel of him touching her, at the feel of him so close to her. He pressed his face to the hollow of her throat, his fangs teasing her lightly. Kagome’s soft cries told him that she liked what he was doing, and so he dragged his fangs down the length of her throat, over her collarbone, and down to her decolletage, leaving twin red trails behind him. She fell into his arms, and he lifted her easily, then turned and laid her down on the futon set up in the room. 

Inuyasha took a step back and took in Kagome’s form, laying nearly nude and vulnerable before him on his futon—on _their_ wedding bed. She saw how he looked at her—with need, with desire—and it made her rub her thighs together in anticipation. She had often dreamed of this moment, when he would lay atop her, kiss her, touch her, press into her, but now that the moment was finally there, she felt...nervous. A little afraid. And a lot…

A lot excited. 

Her scent was overwhelming to Inuyasha—sweet vanilla and sakura, and with a heightening spiciness that he couldn’t quite identify. It was making him dizzy and a little bit heady and he knew that he needed her, _now_. Slowly, Inuyasha dropped to his knees, watching with pleasure as Kagome writhed on the mattress under his heated glare. Her steely eyes met his gleaming, golden eyes. 

“ _Please, Inuyasha_ ,” she said fervently. “ _Please_.” He allowed his right hand to rest on her calf, then ran it slowly up the length of her leg. When he reached the inside of her thigh, she giggled, and shifted her weight, but a soft, sharp growl from him caused her to lay still and allow him to continue to make his way up her leg. When he reached the juncture of her thighs, she hissed, and bucked her hips quietly, twisting under his gentle touch. He grinned, and ghosted over her there; when she let out a soft whine, he chuckled.

“All in good time, Wife,” he said softly, continuing to move up her body to the bindings that held her breasts in place. He paused there, looked down at her, reverently, quietly. 

“How did I get so lucky?” he murmured again. “How did I get the most beautiful, the most incredible, woman in the world to marry _me_?”

“By being pretty incredible yourself,” Kagome replied huskily, her hips gyrating of their own accord. “Now, _please_ , Inuyasha.” She paused. “I have dreamed of this moment for so long. _Please_ touch me; _please_...make me yours.”

Inuyasha hovered over her and pressed a kiss to her temple, her nose, her lips, her face tilting slightly to meet his. “You are mine in name now, Kagome,” he breathed, his lips ghosting hers. “And now, we will belong to each other.”

“ _Inuyasha_ ,” she cried as he used his claws to tear her bindings, her breasts finally springing free. Immediately he was overwhelmed with her natural, musky scent, and he pressed his face between her breasts and rested it there, inhaling her, taking her in completely. Her fingers went to his ears, which she rubbed tenderly as he turned his face left and right, his fangs teasing her breasts, his tongue laving at her skin, unable to stop himself from lapping at her. He growled appreciatively at her fingers on his ears, his cock straining against his fundoshi.

“You smell...and taste... _amazing_ ,” he breathed, his voice nothing more than a low snarl, his body thrumming with need. He _wanted_ her. He _needed_ her. He…

“Can...can you use your hands on me, too?” she whispered, snapping him out of her reverie. His golden eyes lifted to meet her gray ones.

“How...how do you want me to touch you, Wife?” he asked her softly. “Is this not…”

“ _No_.” Her voice was strained. “What you are doing is…” He could tell she was searching for the right words. “ _Perfect_ ,” she said at last. “But you can do more... _here_.” She let go of his ears, and hissed when he growled at her. “Hush,” she added, “you’ll get what you want, _Husband_.” Her hands moved slowly down, through his hair, and over his shoulders, and drew his hands up to hers. “Here,” she breathed, and placed his hands on her breasts. 

Kagome mewled as Inuyasha, tenderly and reverently, played with her breasts. He squeezed them and weighed them in his hands, as through relying on his sense of touch to detect what she liked. When the pads of his fingers brushed her nipples, she cried out his name, and emboldened, he offered her a little tweak. When her entire body shook beneath him, he fit his mouth over one nipple, drawing the rosy peak to a hardened pebble while he worked over the other with his claws. Kagome pushed her hips up into his, and he dragged his tongue across her body, from her left breast, down into the delicate valley of her sternum, and up to her right breast, where he repeated the action, laving at her nipple and teasing it out with his fangs. Her fingers were back working over his ears, and he rolled beside her and drew her to him tenderly, their bodies molding together perfectly. 

A gentle push on his shoulders had Inuyasha looking up. Kagome’s face was flushed, with a thin sheen of sweat forming on her brow. She smiled, and pushed at him, down, away from her breasts, and towards the other secrets of her body.

“ _L—lower_ ,” she moaned, and Inuyasha obeyed. He used his nose to nuzzle her breasts, then her belly, and finally, he pressed his nose into the heat of her sex. Even through the thin layer of fabric there, Inuyasha could tell this was the place on her body that was the most sensitive, and the most cloying. Her scent poured through, beautiful and deep and rich, and Inuyasha wanted to just surround himself, to bury himself, in Kagome, for the rest of their lives. He hooked his thumbs into either side of the cloth covering her sex, and she lifted her hips, allowing him to slowly remove it, the glorious secrets of her body revealed to him for the first time.

Kagome watched him closely, taking in the way that he was admiring her, observing her—with awe, with reverence, with love.

With _love_.

Her body was burning for him, hotter than she had ever burned from just thinking about him. Now, he was there, and he was touching her, and he was so close to her she thought she might faint from the anticipation. “You...you can touch me there,” she whispered, her voice barely recognizable as her own. “You can touch me there.”

He started with a finger, lightly caressing the soft folds of her sex. Her moans, and the way that her scent was spiking, told him that she liked it, _a lot_ . He used a second finger, opening her up, revealing the whole of her sex to him. Inuyasha was in awe: she was pink, and ripe, and beautiful, and _his_. 

Just like he was hers.

He spent a long, wonderful moment, exploring her there, trying to see what she liked, what felt good. When he found a small pearl hidden within her treasures, her entire body went rigid, and she called out his name, so loudly that he wondered in a panic if they heard her in the house next door. But all those thoughts were put out of his head when she lifted her hips and pushed herself into his nose.

“ _Ka—Kagome_ ,” he moaned, rubbing his face all over her. It was better than he expected, being this close to his wife, to the woman he had loved since they were children. She smelled sweet, and spicy, and here was where that scent was the strongest. He couldn’t help it; he poked out his tongue and dragged it from that sweet button, all the way down to the slit he found at the bottom of her sex, which was already glistening with her need. She sighed, and shifted her hips, and cried out again. Her fingers found his ears again, and he growled with pleasure. On instinct, his fingers sought out her entrance, and he inserted one, then two fingers, feeling the softness of her walls resisting him as he thrust into her. His face and fingers full of her, he found that he couldn’t get enough. He began to lap at her earnestly, desperately, wanting to digest as much of her as he could. She was the most delicious thing he’d ever tasted, and he never wanted to pull his face away.

Kagome felt her body quaking and shivering from her husband’s ministrations. He was a little awkward, and a little unsure, and a lot enthusiastic. His earnestness was only adding to the fire bubbling up from her core and spreading through to the rest of her body. 

She didn’t know what was happening, but she knew that it felt amazing, and she never wanted it to stop. 

And then, just as suddenly as it began, the burning exploded through her body, white-hot and searing, and she went rigid as she felt her juices flowing from between her legs. Her first orgasm, and it was perfect, and luxurious, and she could feel Inuyasha grinning against her as he lapped her up softly, sweetly, lovingly. She closed her eyes and allowed him to care for her, to demonstrate his love for her, which she knew: 

He would continue to do this now, and tomorrow, and for the rest of their lives.

As she came down from her high, Kagome slowly entered back into rational consciousness. She became aware of Inuyasha pressing a kiss to her temple, then getting up and moving away from her slightly. His back was to her (which was magnificent, and golden, and rippling, she noted with appreciation). He seemed...different...somehow. Different as in…

He was unfurling his fundoshi, unwrapping the cloth from his body in a spool of never-ending fabric. She watched eagerly as more and more of his ass revealed itself to her; when he finished unwrapping it, he dropped the cloth to the side. She saw him take a deep breath, then spin around to face her, and Kagome may have whined and scrabbled her legs on the mattress in anticipation and delight.

He was glorious. His cock—Kagome may have never had sex before but she definitely had learned about the male anatomy from her girlfriends in the village who were already married—was thick, and plush, the shaft a beautiful shade of copper, with a pink tinge at the mushroom head. Her eyes grew wide, and instead of being afraid, her excitement mounted.

Because this was Inuyasha. _He_ was Inuyasha. And he had been born for her, just like she had been born to meet him.

Slowly, sweetly, he approached his wife, who smiled and sat up on her elbows as she watched him come towards her. Their eyes, their bodies, were completely focused on each other; the room, the world, faded away, so that all that remained was them, and only them. 

Inuyasha lowered himself over his wife, dragging his fangs up the length of her body, Kagome moaning quietly at his actions. When he reached her lips, she reached out with her tongue, caressing his fangs, making him moan in return. Her hands ran down his back, her blunt nails digging in, her hips rising to meet his own. One of her hands dipped between them, gripping his cock between her thumb and forefinger and stroking it firmly, pulling him closer to her entrance. “Fuck, Kagome,” he gasped, and she smiled and teased him by pressing his cock into her clit, breathy moans escaping her mouth, too. His gasps became whines, and he pushed her hand out of the way to replace it with his own, hushing her protests with a gentle kiss.

His own hand circled his cock, and Inuyasha groaned aloud at the thought of where it was about to be. He laid it flat against her, gave it a few pumps, and held the tip steady over the delicate flower of her sex. 

“Are you ready, Wife?” he asked her, his eye glowing in the dark.

Kagome nodded. “Oh, _yes_ , my husband,” she replied smiling, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes, which were glinting a steely gray. 

“I love you,” he whispered.  
“I love you,” she whispered back. 

He covered her lips with his, slowly, tenderly, as he pressed inside of her at last. 

Her body at first resisted, her walls pushing back on his, but slowly, gradually, accommodating him. When Inuyasha reached her hymen, he paused, and broke the kiss, looking at her anxiously.

“It’s—it’s my barrier,” she said softly. “Best to go fast. I—I’ve heard there might be blood, so don’t freak out.”

“Blood?” She could hear the concern in his voice, and she had to talk fast.

“It’ll be fine,” she said, kissing him lightly. “Just go fast, and don’t panic, okay?” She managed a little smile, and that gave him hope. Inuyasha pulled out slightly, took a deep breath, and then drove his cock fully inside of her.

Kagome cried out at the feeling of Inuyasha moving so quickly. He broke through her barrier, coming to a rest when he was completely sheathed in her; at the slight scent of blood, he pressed his lips to hers again to suppress his growl of concern. He felt huge, and she felt tight, and she let out a deep breath. “I need a second,” she murmured, and his lips moved softly to her temple. 

“Take as long as you need,” he whispered, and she lifted her face to his face for a sweet, lingering kiss, light and persistent. Her hands were free to roam his back, the pads of her fingers following the dips and valleys between his muscles, her desire steadily increasing. It was enough that she felt ready to move after a few moments. His lips on hers made her body burn, made her soul sing, and made her want to feel him moving inside of her. 

A shift of her hips, a slight movement of her head, a flash of her throat, and Kagome whispered, “I’m ready.”

Carefully, gently, Inuyasha began to move; tentatively at first, as she continued to stretch to accommodate him. Her hips sought to match his rhythm; he slipped an arm under her shoulders, his lips still on hers, and together, slowly, awkwardly, they found a pace that worked for them. Inuyasha groaned against Kagome’s lips as the feeling of her heat, her wetness, and her softness began to wash him away. 

He...loved her. So much. 

Up, and forward; down, and back. The motions were languid, but no less passionate. Their kisses were needy; their bodies pressed against each other; their souls slowly knit a bond that would not be easily broken. 

They reached the glory of their climax together; Kagome digging her heels into the small of his back, Inuyasha bellowing her name as he held her close, her arms wrapping around him in the continued throes of her own ecstasy. 

That day, their families and friends had come together to celebrate Inuyasha’s and Kagome’s love. But that night, Inuyasha and Kagome crafted a celebration just for them. Special, private, secret.

One they would be repeating more than once that night, and every night thereafter, for a very long time.

* * *

It had been unseasonably warm that winter, and as a result, the sakura trees were in full bloom early that year. The blossoms caught on the breeze and floated downwards, decorating the ground in pinwheels of pink and red and white.

Under the tallest sakura tree rested Inuyasha and Kagome, Shippo on Inuyasha’s shoulder, Kagome tucked into Inuyasha’s side. He held open a book, and was reading quietly to them, Shippo’s eyes growing wide at the most exciting parts of the story, while Kagome rocked the newest member of their family in her arms:

A tiny baby, no more than a few months old, who was seeing the place where her parents met for the first time. A baby with dark hair, golden eyes, and little dog ears. The best of her father; the best of her mother. A baby her family loved with all their hearts.

A little baby named Moroha, who would spend many of her springs and summers to come under these same sakura trees, where she would grow up hearing the story of her parents’ love: of how they met, of how they fell in love, and of how her mother saved her father, destroyed the Shikon no Tama, and set the Soul Queen free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again everyone for reading! If you liked this story, try one of these!
> 
> [The Fae Tree](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24217675/chapters/58342849) by [Alannada](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alannada)  
> [The Fae and the Contract](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23989309/chapters/57705949) by [C_Storm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/C_Storm)  
> [In the Castle of the Jewel](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27629588) by [gribedli](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gribedli)  
> [Sing, My Little Bird](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27557905) by [Laeoukka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laeoukka)  
> [Moonlight Drawn Beneath the Clouds](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25254376/chapters/61222600/) by [Lindenbay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lindenbay)  
> [The Tale of the Magic Prince](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11285242/1/The-Tale-of-The-Magic-Prince) by [Lord Wolf](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4497349/Lord-Wolfe)  
> [The Half-Demon Prince and the Curse of the Four Paws](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27700634) by [NeutronStarChild](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeutronStarChild)  
> [Buyo in Boots](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27587117) by [Ruddcatha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruddcatha) and [idreamofsoup](https://dreaming-of-soup.tumblr.com/)  
> [684 Concord Road](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29778834/chapters/73256127) by [Shnuggletea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shnuggletea)  
> [Nepenthe](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28295232) by [WitchyGirl99](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Witchy99)


End file.
